Country of Origin: Crescent Empire
Salon: None (Yakub al’Marikk teaches the style from a camp in the foothills north of Razgrad, though he has not taken on many students since the death of his son Kursis)
Founded: 1637

Description: Yakub al’Marikk’s ancestors began the fighting style that bears their family name, but he perfected it. His family has been known since time immemorial as excellent knife fighters, but Yakub’s athletic prowess allowed him to turn their methods into a complete style of fighting. The Marikk style teaches its students to use two katars with great speed, athleticism, and grace.

The main weakness of the style is that its focus is entirely offensive, and that katars are especially inefficient parrying implements.

Basic Curriculum: Acrobat, Knife
Knacks: Double Attack (Knife/Knife), Exploit Weakness (Marikk), Lunge (Knife), Sidestep, Whirl (Knife/Knfe)

Apprentice: Marikk teaches its students to relentlessly attack an enemy with both katars. The student suffers no off-hand penalty when using a katar in each hand. In addition, for each additional attack a Marikk fighter makes against a single target in a single Phase, the target’s TN to be hit is reduced by twice the fighter’s Mastery Level. Thus, the second time an Apprentice attacks a TN 25 target in a single Phase, the TN drops to 23 (for him only); the third time, the TN drops to 21, and so on. A Brute Squad counts as a single target for this purpose.

Apprentices receive an extra Rank in one of their Swordsman Knacks in lieu of membership in the Swordsman’s Guild.

Journeyman: The Journeyman has mastered an extraordinary somersaulting attack that places him behind his opponent. By spending two Actions (only one of which need be currently “legal”), he may perform a rear attack on his target. The target’s TN to be hit drops to 5 (for that attack only), and Active Defenses require two Actions (neither of which must be legal) to attempt.

Master: Masters of Marikk can perform extremely deadly attacks, and their movements are especially gymnastic. They may Keep one extra Die (+0k1) of damage when using a katar (2k3 total). Furthermore, they get a free Rank in the Leaping and Tumbling Knacks. This can increase each of these to Rank six. If it does not, each may be increased from Rank five to Rank six later by spending 25 XP.