Country of Origin: Crescent Empire (anyone from mainland Théah can learn the School for 25 HP, but they must travel to the Crescent Empire to do so)
Salon: Rahajeel (Small)
Founded: 1602

Description: Founded in 1602 by a Bernoulli Swordsman and his Crescent lover, the Al’iiman School is a rarity: a Crescent School that actively seeks out students from outside the Empire. Most mainland students come from Vodacce, but in the past Swordsmen from Castille, Eisen, and even Vendel have made their way to Rahajeel to study under the School’s current maestro, Daiyan Marco al’Bernoulli (the grandson of the founders).

Stylistically, Al’iiman relies on precise strikes made in great number, punctuated with occasional powerful attacks designed to catch an opponent off-guard. Defenses are primarily functions of reflex and instinct. Al’iiman is a fast School; its students can strike from a seemingly vulnerable position, and constantly maneuver themselves into better position to unleash a sudden attack…or flurry of attacks.

The weapons used in this School, a curved-blade sabre and a straight-bladed dagger, do not lend themselves well to combination. Students of Al’iiman spend many hours practicing the technique, but even Masters of the School are not perfect. Through careful, tactical maneuvering, an opponent can put the Al’iiman Swordsman into a position where each of his weapons gets in the way of the other, making attacks and defenses more difficult to execute.

Basic Curriculum: Fencing, Knife
Knacks: Beat (Fencing), Exploit Weakness (Al’iiman), Flurry (Fencing), Riposte (Fencing), Sidestep

New Swordsman Knack: Flurry. When attacking an enemy, you can declare a Flurry. You roll Resolve + Flurry, and must roll a number of Raises equal to your enemy’s Resolve in order for your Flurry to be successful. If you are successful, he cannot avoid the attack using any Active Defense. The Raises taken on this roll add Unkept Dice to your damage roll as usual.

Revised Swordsman Knack: Beat. When attacking an enemy, you can declare a Beat. You roll Brawn + Beat, and must roll a number of Raises equal to your enemy’s Brawn in order for your Beat to be successful. If you are successful, he cannot avoid the attack using any Active Defense. The Raises taken on this roll add Unkept Dice to your damage roll as usual.

Apprentice: Students of Al’iiman are trained to respond very quickly to danger. The Apprentice may spend an Action to draw and attack with a sabre using a single Action, as if it was a scimitar.

Like other Crescent Schools, Al’iiman has no connection to the Swordsman’s Guild of mainland Théah. Instead of Membership in the Guild, students of Al’iiman receive the Lightning Reflexes Advantage at no cost.

Journeyman: A Journeyman of Al’iiman has learned to follow up a fierce sabre strike with one from his dagger, though this is a tricky maneuver and it is hard to repeat once he has committed to a sequence of attacks. The Journeyman may spend his first Action of every Round to attempt a Beat with his sabre. Whether or not the Beat is successful, he may follow up with an attack using his dagger without spending a second Action. Wound Checks are made after each attack as usual.

Master: As they advance in their training, Al’iiman Swordsmen begin wearing blindfolds in sparring matches with their colleagues, expanding their focus from reflex and instinct to encompass intuition and a healthy dose of good fortune, as well. The Master never suffers penalties for fighting in Dim Lighting or Total Darkness, whether this is because of the ambient lighting conditions, a blindfold, or some other source. In addition, the Master’s reflexes have been refined to such a degree that he receives a free Rank in the Sidestep Knack, which should increase his Rank to a six. If for any reason it does not, he may increase if from a five to a six later by spending 25 XP.