Country of Origin: Avalon (currently)
Salon: Canguine (Tiny)
Founded: 1561

Description: Founded over a century ago by a retired Montaigne assassin, and currently overseen by the founder’s granddaughter (a retired assassin and bounty hunter in her own right) Camille, the Moivre fighting stye has been ruthlessly quashed in any city where it has cropped up (including Buché, San Eliseo, Dionna, Wandesborow, Siegsburg, Altamira, Dionna again, and dozens more). Despite each municipal (and even national) government’s best efforts, however, it is only a matter of time before it springs up again, taught by a new Maestro (or so the authorities think) in another city somewhere in Théah. The truth is that the founder, his son, and Camille herself have always been adept at disguise and evading capture. When one opportunity ends, another begins; so long as there are dark alleys and rough sections of town somewhere in Théah, Moivre will flourish.

Moivre is a dagger style: its students are taught to wield the weapons in pairs and even to attack with both simultaneously. Defense is not neglected, but it plays a secondary role in a style which is dedicated to attacking once, securing a kill, and slipping away, preferably undetected. Its practitioners are always seeking out newer and better weapons for themselves, and they have no hesitation in using poison, which adds to this style’s poor reputation.

With its short reach, a dagger is a poor substitute for a sword in a drawn-out fight, and this is exacerbated by Moivre’s singular focus on a one-strike (or double-strike) incapacitation. Once the element of surprise is lost, Moivre’s offensive efficacy decreases sharply, and anyone who had stood toe-to-toe with a Moivre fighter before will already know how to overcome its flimsy defenses.

Basic Curriculum: Criminal, Knife
Knacks: Double Attack (Knife/Knife), Exploit Weakness (Moivre), Feint (Knife), Lunge (Knife), Razor (Knife)

New Swordsman Knack: Razor. You have studied basic anatomy and mastered the art of blade control to take full advantage of your studies. As a result, when you strike with a weapon, you inflict precise, extremely painful wounds. For every Rank you have in this Knack, you may add one to your Damage Rolls with an appropriate weapon.

Revised Swordsman Knack Feint. When attacking an enemy, you can declare a Feint. You roll Wits + Feint, and must roll a number of Raises equal to your enemy’s Wits in order for your Feint 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: Trained to wield daggers in both hands simultaneously, students of Moivre may do so without suffering an off-hand penalty. They are also taught to move stealthily to better strike from hiding and may add twice their Mastery Level to all Wits + Ambush rolls they make prior to the start of combat.

There are no legitimate Guilds in Théah which would consider offering sanction to Moivre. As a result, Moivre Aprentices receive the Combat Reflexes Advantage (if they do not already have it) in lieu of Guild Membership.

Journeyman: In case a target survives his first attack, Journeyman of Moivre learn to move swiftly and subtly, attacking from unexpected angles to catch an opponent off-guard for the next strike. The Journeyman may use his Combat Reflexes Advantage to lower an Action Die from a one to a zero in any Round of combat, potentially giving him an Action in “Phase Zero” even after the first Round.

Master: A Moivre Master has perfected the art of the surprise attack; when he catches a target unawares, his daggers become the deadliest of weapons. Any time the Master successfully attacks an opponent during “Phase Zero” of combat, Raises taken for extra damage add Kept Dice (+1k1) to the Damage Roll instead of Unkept Dice.