Lord of the Cold [Training, PM for Entry]

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Riding, Land-Based (Horse)
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: Those skilled in land riding are proficient in the art of riding and handling horses or other types of land-based mounts.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When the skill is acquired, the character must declare which type of mount he is skilled in. Possibilities include Camels, Unicorns, Dire Wolves, or virtually any creature used as mounts. If a user wants to know how to ride for each additional animal it will cost 5 TP per creature. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

0|5 TP
0 SP

---

Weeks passed, it was quite some time before I thought Tundra to be ridable, but when I thought he was, I had him saddled properly, and I leaped onto his back, in the same ring used by those old prize fighters. It was going to be a rough ride, but Tundra was learning to respect people, and I had been on his back for short moments before. I simply never tried to ride him properly for an extended period of time.

I climbed up, and sat down, hard, in the saddle. Tundra moved beneath me, and I immediately was all but thrown from the saddle. It was staggering, as I wasn't yet balanced properly, and I hadn't placed my feet in the stirrups. I staggered, to the left, for he moved out from underneath that part of my weight. I tried to grab with my other leg, and put it in the stirrup, dragging my weight over, and towards the horse. That is when he started running, and I was left, tumbling over backwards, on the ground behind the horse.

My mounting technique was going to be the first thing which I had to improve. Tundra did not go far. He was defiant and confident that I was not going to be particularly good at riding him. He knew what he could do. I could use this as an opportunity to train him, but I didn't feel like that. I could better myself, for the moment, rather than the horse. I climbed onto the horse, and grabbed the reins, and pulled back, as  Tundra tried to move away. His hesitation, being slowed by my hands, made him still long enough for me to firmly plant my legs in the right places. It was time to get moving.

[Tieren]

narutoforumrp.proboards.com/thread/103073/skill-training-rolls?page=76&scrollTo=981709

+5 TP
+30 SP

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Riding, Land-Based (Horse)
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: Those skilled in land riding are proficient in the art of riding and handling horses or other types of land-based mounts.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When the skill is acquired, the character must declare which type of mount he is skilled in. Possibilities include Camels, Unicorns, Dire Wolves, or virtually any creature used as mounts. If a user wants to know how to ride for each additional animal it will cost 5 TP per creature. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

0|5 TP
30 SP

---

I was working on my riding still. One of the aspects which I needed to improve upon, now that I've mastered my stance, is my control of the beast. I must control both my own body and the body of the roaring ball of muscle underneath me if I wanted to get anywhere. So, I, on the back of the Great-horse Tundra, began to move much faster. He was tired, and so content not to buck me off or run off on his own, but I forced him to speed regardless. It did not heed my strikes at first, but I urged him, repeatedly, using verbal commands as well, to speed up to a lope. I was in the horse riding ring, and he began to move more quickly. He did not have the same vigor he has had in the past, and I am beginning to fear I've broken too much of his spirit. But, that is another matter. Tundra was moving quickly, and I felt myself clenching into the saddle trying to hold on.

I could work on my stability, but right now I'm working on my control of my mount. I tugged, gently but assertively, on the reins, attempting to pull him back down a couple notches, not so slow that I was once again urging him, but enough that I was stable and could pick up my axe while on his back. He slowed slightly at the pull of my reins. I, dissatisfied still with this speed, pulled again, a distinct and separate command, albeit similar. He slowed again, but this time changed gait, so I was forced to kick him back to speed. That could use some work, but at least he is now being receptive in that way, and we've agreed upon the commands.

[Fui]

+5 tp

+25 sp

55 total sp

narutoforumrp.proboards.com/thread/103073/skill-training-rolls?page=77&scrollTo=982789

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Charge
Rank: "C" + "B"
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: Charging is a special full round strike that allows the Rider to move at incredible speeds and attack dealing incredible damage.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Rider must move the mount at least 5 meters for the strike. Mount must have a clear path toward the opponent and nothing may hinder the mount's movements such as difficult terrain and obstacles. If Rider does not have a line of sight to the opponent they may not charge against that opponent. Performing a charge the Rider may only strike against an opponent once, and a charge only works against 1 opponent before the Rider must move another 5 meters before performing another charge. Due to the conditions of this attack this technique does "B" Rank worth of damage. Every time the Rider learns this technique they are able to guide their mount into a more powerful charge. Rider must learn the "B" Rank version to increase the damage output by 1 rank.
Charge Vs Jutsus - When the Rider learns up to "S" Rank worth of damage they are able to charge through "D" Rank Techniques that are NinJutsu ability or equivalent. Every 2 times the Rider learns this technique afterwards the damage the technique goes through goes up by 1 rank.

Limit: Must be "Rider" of Mounted Combat. Must know Riding (Novice).

0|30 TP
0|500 TP

---

I was getting the horse under control, so I decided to move towards some more difficult feats. The next step was to drive the horse in for a charge. So, I dismounted, and got an old training dummy set up. It was back from the gladitorial training that use to happen hear, and nobody would miss it. I then got out my axe, before I thought better of it. I selected instead a training lance, as the first step to a good charge is knowing which weapon to use. While my axe does have a haft and a point, it still doesn't quite check all the boxes. The blades make it unwieldy when I'm moving quickly; it isn't aerodynamic. A lance allows one to push all their weight behind it, and cram it deep into an opponent, with all the force of a grown man hurtling down a path on horseback.

I mounted again, and held the lance on a nervous horse. He was not used to me with a weapon on his back, although I'd trained him specifically to be ridable with only one hand, as is typical of any war mount. I played around with my grip on the lance, trying to figure which way would be the best. I had a warrior's saddle, so I used it. I put the lance on the saddle, and held in my hand while still resting it against my shoulder, so I could lean in with all my might against an enemy who was unlucky enough to get in front of that lance, or against the dummy, as the case might be.

Tundra tugged at the reins, unsure of what was going on. That was for the best, although I pulled back, as I needed to be in control of the situation so I could work out exactly how I was going to make my charge. I shifted the position of my feet. I plunged them deeper into the stirrup, for there would be abrupt changes of position, and forces would suddenly come into play. I gripped Tundra with great force, so I might stay on his back and in control of his movements. My one-handed grip was harsh, but not too strong. I didn't want to pull him to either side of the path, but directly straight towards the target. With me as the strong seated ruler of the mount, I began the motions to start Tundra into motion.

Tundra bolted, unexpectedly, and I struggled to line up the lance with his trajectory. Unfortunately, I did not move my hand fast enough. My lance missed the target by a good three feet. The sensation was interesting; I could feel the forces keeping me from moving the lance. It seems its harder to move and manipulate objects while the horse was moving about. It was, partially, the shaking motion of the horse's footsteps, shaking my hand, and it was partially the sheer force which I was fighting against to point that lance towards my destination. Perhaps I need to align the thing before I move?

[Gohan]

+10

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Same as previous.

10|30 TP
10|500

---

I worked harder this time, as I aligned myself for the blow. I reigned Tundra around with one hand, pushing him with my leg back to a reasonable, say 10 meter, distance away from the dummy. I held the lance, recouching it, putting it against my saddle in a reasonable place, reaffirming my grip on it, so I could have forced come against it without wavering. If the forces of a dry run knocked me off course last time, the forces of impact would surely knock the thing entirely off of its course. In that case, held the thing firmly, feeling the worn-smooth wood, knowing by the experience of previous users how was the proper way to bear this lance.

And so, I sighted my path, imagining the trajectory of Tundra across the ground. I imagined where the lance would be if I didn't move it at all, skating right by the head of the dummy. I could make two different adjustments here; move my path, or move the lance. My first thought was to line Tundra up so that the lance would hit the dummy, so I didn't have to hold it in an unwieldy way. However, that, I quickly realized, would leave me with a glancing blow, not with all the force of the great horse behind the strike. I shifted the lance, with it still couched, but this time it moved up, its point at the right angle. I could move in for the kill now.

Part of the technique of the charge is to hold steady, so when Tundra began moving, I braced myself, tightly against the horse, holding the lance in place as I made my charge. It occurred to me that a sturdier material of lance might not be so easily knocked about by the breeze. Regardless, I was going in for it. The tension of my body required surprised me somewhat. It was a moment of intensity as I went in for that hit, and I could feel myself straining to make sure the hit was exactly on target. It was still a glancing blow. My lance slid off the side of the dummy, doing almost no damage to either implement. Disappointed, I loosened my grip on everything, and wiped the sweat from my brow. Oddly strenuous, learning is.

I moved back around, around the same distance from the target. It was moderately left to the empirical method. I tried again, this time with my lance at a slightly more outward angle. I rode, body clenching once more, towards the target, spurring Tundra to the goal. My lance was aimed, and I held it firmly, adjusting my grip at the very last moment. I swung my lance, just a little bit, lifting the point upwards toward the dummy. It was a better angle, for sure, because as I went forward, I felt the impact most severely. It jarred my arm a little bit more than slightly, but also exploded the lance almost completely. It was a satisfying sound, and I knew I was ready to use something a little bit stronger. But there were other things to not. The first thing was that the lance was designed for on-the-ground usage, so any horse user would easily break it. Therefore, I might still need to work on my force. The other thing that hinted that to me was the fact that the dummy looks completely unharmed, with nary a splinter in him.

[Gohan]

+10

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Same

20|30 TP
20|500 TP

---

The next part to work on was the actual process of controlling the horse while I charge. Charging on horseback is partially the work of a good lancer, but largely, all of the force and all of the accuracy comes from the skills of a good rider. Without control of my horse, I will not be able to deliver the kind of fatal blows which other lancers are able to give, and I will not be able to actually hit the target. Both of these things are necessary, therefore they are things which I will work on next before I switch to a slightly different topic of training.

I moved Tundra back only five meters from the target. That was my goal. If I could deliver a fatal strike form that distance, I will have become competent for the time being. I sat on Tundra. He was still a little shaken by the explosion of the lance, but largely, the lance was still usable. The tip had broken off and fallen to the ground, but I didn't need a sharp point for the moment. I needed to practice horsemanship, and whether or not I actually pierced the target was irrelevant. It mattered only whether or not it was I who was preventing the damage. A dull lance can be sharpened; a dull rider has to sharpen himself.

I prepared Tundra by tightening up. He knew what was about to happen, we were beginning to get a bit of an empathetic bond going. Quite nice, really. This time I spoke verbally; a thing which he learned to listen to in his training despite the fact that I rarely used it for real life equitation. "Tundra..." I hollered, with a long and low and loud voice, so he was prepared for the next command. The command I was going to give him would be completely new, but that mattered little. Once he learned it, it would represent a world of help to my escapades. "Charge!" I hollered, flailing with my legs as I tried to spur the horse onwards.

He bolted into movement, his back legs springing us off of the ground for the moment as he lunged into position. It was a good start, that was for sure. He began to veer off course, but I, confident in my grip on the lance and in its trajectory, used my non-dominant hand to guide him back to the path I wanted, making minor corrections, even as we crossed that minuscule place as I tried to stable the tiny point of a lance into the small chest of the dummy. Tundra snorted a little as I controlled his movements, but largely I was able to point his head where I wanted to. He followed the lead quite well. With all that force, I sunk the lance directly into the target ,and this time it really broke, but off at the handle. The whole thing, having been shoved deep into the dummy, was hanging out of the exact spot that I wanted to hit. And I did it all in a measly five meters. Not a bad charge. If I used that in combat, I have no doubt it would prove effective.

[Father 'Suke]

+10; learned

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Riding, Land-Based (Horse)
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: Those skilled in land riding are proficient in the art of riding and handling horses or other types of land-based mounts.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When the skill is acquired, the character must declare which type of mount he is skilled in. Possibilities include Camels, Unicorns, Dire Wolves, or virtually any creature used as mounts. If a user wants to know how to ride for each additional animal it will cost 5 TP per creature. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

0|5 TP
30 SP
5 rolls

---

I decided to take Tundra through the town, making my presence as Yukikage better known. He was a good mount, and I finally was feeling confident that he would not return to his natural wildness with quite as much ease as one would think. He was a trained beast now, and I reformed him. He would not disobey me, but there were things for him to learn. I rode him through the gate, and was moving around the slightly busier town at the base of the castle. I’ve always walked him through here, never ridden him. Some poor man looked at me, and smiled something fierce. Perhaps I am the right man to rule this village; perhaps these villagers need the type of man who goes about on the back of a wild horse.

I came upon a low fence, that had its upper rung knocked off it, in an abandoned part of town. It was a decrepit old thing, even if I broke it I doubt anybody would miss it, and I doubly doubt anybody would confront the Yukikage for having broken down their already broken gate. But regardless of that fact, I didn’t intend to break it. For today I was going to practice jumping on Tundra’s back. Jumping is a natural skill for a horse to have, but also the type of thing which they like to avoid. Fortunately, in this case, jumping over the low fence is the easiest path of action, so Tundra will likely follow it. All I would have to do is force him in the right direction, and he would jump. It is an easy thing to do in this case, as it is in most cases where one honest-to-gods has to jump.

The tricky part would not be persuading the horse, but staying on the horse, and ensuring he completed the jump. I am not a small man, and he is not a light horse, we would destroy the fence if our weight is greater than Tundra’s strength. Fortunately, I am confident Tundra has the strength to jump over it, but I have to let him exert that strength, or I am on a fool’s errand. So, I let loose the reins, giving him a little bit more leeway, although not so much so that he might turn away from the challenge. Then I spurred him, putting him finally up to the task. He ran up to it, and I was disturbed by the brief moment in the air, but I was pleased as he landed on the ground with all his feet in the right positions, and walked right away from the fence. Looks like I’ve got that bit down.

[Father 'Suke]

+5 TP
+28 SP
58|125

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Same as above.

0|5
58|125

---

I was riding Tundra again, and this time more vigorously than before. I was going quickly down a busy street, which was not easy for me. I had to hold on tight, gripping with my legs, and pushing down with my heels in some vain attempt to keep myself from bouncing up and down like an idiot. If it weren't for the tremendous size of both myself and my beast, and the intimidating ghost of breath that came from the nostrils of my horse who had been tame for under two months, I would have probably been laughed at for flopping around so, as I tried to locate my grip on the horse, frantically trying to counter the forces. But, the Lord Yukikage was less laughable, because he was, albeit shakily, holding onto the horse.

But, misfortune always strikes those who are growing in confidence. A wee child, of no more than six years, stumbled into the street, right in the path of the hooves of my horse. I am unsure of whether Tundra didn't see the boy or whether he did not care, for his charge continued onward. I rallied my strength, and shouted to Tundra, as I pulled back on the reins. "Whoa." was my cry, but I'm not sure Tundra was listening. A good rider tries verbal commands, but knows they are often faulty, and does not fear to revert to control by a more physical means. And so I did, as I yanked hard on his mouth. Normally, that would anger a horse, but Tundra is not one of those lord's horses groomed by the generations to be sensitive and easy to maneuver; he was bred by the wild and the cold, and numbed by the impending death that was always around him. So I pulled hard. I dug my heels into the stirrups, to allow me to lean back a little, putting my weight into the pull, and adding more incentive for him to stop. I always shifted slightly to left, hoping to get him to, if he failed to stop, swerve around the boy.

[Father 'Suke]

+5 TP
+22 SP
80|125

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Improved Shield Bash
Rank: "D"
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: User can protect themselves with their shield, even if they use it to attack.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The user of this stance holds their shield in such a manner to deliver punishing shield bashes without sacrificing their ability to defend themselves. When user performs a Shield Bash, user may still apply their Guard Meter to protect themselves from an attack. Normally without this technique a character that performs a Shield Bash loses their Guard Meter. User inflicts 6 Armor Points of Weapon Damage per 2 Class Levels starting at "D" Class.
Limit: Must be an Armiger.

0|10 TP

I arrived at the arena with my shield, and began to experiment with gripping it. The grip on the back was nice on the hand durable; one could easily get used to it in their hand. There was no doubt in my mind I could use this better than the cheap bucklers I'd used before. I held it with my hand, and began to fiddle around with bracing it against my forearm. It was a little weighty, and it was cumbersome too. I tried to lift it up as if blocking something, and it moved nicely however, and I could angle it to block incoming stikes, all I had to do was flick my joint quickly and everything moved into place. I played around like this for a little bit, trying to get the feel for what ways it moved well, and for what ways it would simply flop around. It had multiple handles and I tried all of them.

Funnily enough, while I was holding the shield up at a right angle to the ground, I tried moving it forward quickly, striking at an imaginary opponent. Even though there was nothing to absorb the impact so I merely threw my weight around, the process felt good. I could feel this as a viable method of punishing a foe who cam in too close when I was trying to block their strikes. I moved over to the dummies and played around with basshing them, swinging out my arm and trying to hit them with the shield. It worked out to be a sort of elbow with a large piece of metal, but it worked well enough. But, as I squared up agains the dummy and imagined the situation, I realised the error of my ways.

As I swung the shield to hit the opponent, I was leaving myself vulnerable. Unless this clunky piece attatched to my arm proved to be substantially faster than a swordsman's reaction time, I would be leaving myself with a knife to the gut, and the opponent with nothing but a bruise. My immediate reaction was not to bash with the shield; I'd just be throwing my defenses away. But, there had to be a way to hit people with a shield and not allow them to knife you in the gut. I fiddled around with all the grips I'd done earlier, and began to piece together how such a technique would work.

By bracing my whole forearm against the shield and leaning my shoulder into it I was more able to move the shield parallell to my body. I no longer swung from my elbow, but I pushed from my shoulder. I even took a step forward when I bashed, and a step back when I was finished, allowing me to put real force behind the blow, but remain constantly in a guarded stance. I didn't have to give up defense to squeeze a little offense out of my shield. All I had to do was brace myself.

[zarak729]

Learned!

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Shield Focus
Rank: "D"
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: User is skilled at deflecting blows with their shield.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: User learns a valuable stance that forms the core of this style, that being the nature of the unbreakable wall. By focusing one's attention to defense with their shield, their martial skill improves their defense. The user gains an additional +2 Hardness bonus to their Guard Meter while they are in their full defense stance. This bonus increases by +2 per Class Level.
Limit: Must be an Armiger.

0|10 TP

Only I could be such a waste of a shield. I had it for a few minutes, and already I was swinging it around like a bludgeoning device. In part I guessed it was my nature to attack and go berserk against my enemies, but in part it was me blowing off the steam of administrative works in the village. But this shield was not a second axe; axes are much sharper and more suited to killing things. If I wanted more offense, I would have bought another weapon. But I bought a shield, for as the Yukikage it was important that I did not die at an inopportune moment. Suddenly my life was worht more than a one-for-one. It was no longer an acceptable trade if I killed one of the enemy as I went down myself.

It was that mentality, that patriotism and desire for defense, that went into the stance. I adapted a strong stance. I stepped forward with my right foot and braced against the shield. I rotated my back foot, turning it against my front foot so that I would be stronger and harder to push over. I would have loved to ask one of my loyal retaines to swing their sword at me, but I knew they would not put their heart into it, and that it would be akward and I would only be hurting the village. So I was here alone, praticing my defenseses. However, I was not without a way to test them.

I went up to a dummy that appeared to be holding a sword. The sword was in actuality a dull stick, but the principal was the same.  The dummy was actually a mechanical device invented years ago. It was used to train the younger fighters. I pulled back on one arm of the device, and it flew into motion, springing back around with its sword towards me. I hurried to bring up my shield, but I did not get into positon in time. it slapped me on the side of the face. The stinging was serious, and I stepped back to avoid the next few blows. But the cold had hardened me; the stinging lasted only a moment before it faded back into the numbness of the winter air.

The dummy rolled back to stillness. I went over, and decided that I would face it again. I pulled it back, and it began to move. I stepped my left foot back and turned it, while my right arm brought up my shield. Its stick clattered loudly against my shield, swiping by. It went to hit me on the other side, but I was prepared for that. I twisted my wrist, ever so slightly. The shield barely moved, but it was angled properly to catch the blow. I did that a few times. The dummy eventually came to  a halt, and I was convinced I knew how to block aswinging sword. Or at least I would have a working understanding to go on when I came to face a real sword.

[Nira]

Mm... training in the beginning is a bit short.

A couple little mistakes, 'worth', 'defenses' and 'a swinging'.

Nothing too major.

Eh, it's ridiculously close, so might as well.

+10, learned.

[Lord of Cold]

Exit

[Lord of Cold]

SPOILER: Click to show

Mounted Expertise
Rank: "C"
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: Rider is capable of maneuvering their mount in a 90° without the mount ever losing speed or momentum.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: The user is able to guide their mount to turn in a 90° angle without the mount losing speed or momentum. An ideal technique when performing a Charge attack or trying to escape from an opponent.
Limit: Must be "Rider" of Mounted Combat. Must know Riding (Novice).

0|30 TP

I had a few days before I left the village again. My nerves were out of control. I was worried about a dozen things at once. I mounted Tundra with all of this on my mind, hoping that a good ride would help blow off all that steam. The stablehand seemed glad to be rid of Tundra. I never thought his stable manners were the best. But, with a carrot I took the saddle and trotted off to a dirt ring in the outskirts of the village to practice my riding.

I'd seen something years ago. A great lancer, who rode a horse like mine, didn't have to slow to turn, nor did he have to make a long arc. He could make his horse shift and jump and move through the air, a shimmer of muscle, and land it a quarter turn different without missing a step. The horse would continue ahead as if nothing had happened. Quite the trick, when he did it for show. But I knew that one who could do that in battke would be a colossus of combat. Two moves like that and I could be making a second pass at the enemy.

I spurred him into a canter. He took off suddenly, as if he had been waiting for my foot. There was insolence in his stride. He did not want to be ridden today. Some would put the horse away and train it another day. But I wouldn't. The difficulty of your horse's noncooperation is simply something a rider must face. On the eve of combat my horse could decide it fancies the life of a wild horse, and there would be nothing I could do to stop it. Tundra's insolence could not stop me, or I could not consider riding to truly be my art.

So, I rode Tundra for several laps, tyring to get him into a receptive state. While it did not seem like part of my goal, it was. I had to run the horse ragged. When a horse wants to run away from you, you should want to run too. It will make the horse abandon the tactic, and perhaps adopt a policy of cooperation in the name of the early completion of the excursion. So I spurred and spurred at Tundra's side. He ran around and around. I tried to slow him down to a walk once, but he would not listen.

After a good half of an hour running like hell, I offered a walk to him again and he accepted. From that moment on he was bound to me and listening to my leg and rein. I began to steer him around, no longer in a wide circle around the perimeter of the ring, but around the inside and in stange loops. He was a little reluctant still, so I steered him more, stopped him, backed him up, made him side step. This, to most, would seem irrelevant, but was important. I needed control of my mount, just like a ninja casting an illusion needs control of his chakra. When Tundra stopped fighting my control, I began slightly more relevant excerisin