Training with the Guard (Outside the Downs) MMT-MTT Jy 30th

[Haikan]

Mid Morningtide-Mid Tradetide

Summary:

It was time for the training of the guard. Haikan and his men were to spend the late morning/tradetide exercising their tactics, teamwork, and skill of battle before they cast off for their next journey. The first session merely consisted of standard physical exercises led by Haikan. After they had sufficiently warmed up, they began their team-building exercises. The first exercise was what Haikan liked to call “flag siege.” There were two teams of fifteen, and each team was divided into the three unarmed squads of designated weapon proficiency. The respective lieutenants (Edgar, Regis, Geoffrey, Norman, Leonard and Micah) of each squad would relay Haikan’s orders to capture the flags held by the enemies. Edgar, Regis and Geoffrey were the lieutenants of team A, and Norman, Leonard, and Micah were the lieutenants of team B. The flag was held by the crossbow lieutenant of each team (Regis and Leonard.) Their squads were designated to keep the flag away from the opposing team. Edgar and Norman led the opposing pole arm squads which were designated to defend the respective crossbow squads from the siege of the sword squads. Finally, Geoffrey and Micah led the sword divisions to recover the flag from the crossbow divisions. The point of this exercise was to incorporate team-work into the skills the soldiers were already accustomed to in their fields, and to sharpen Haikan’s tactical reflexes. This activity took almost two whole marks, and consisted of twenty rounds. At first the rounds were slow and the squad-members were stumbling over one another, but towards the end, Haikan’s commands became more effective, faster, and the squad-members began to function more effectively as a team, assisting each other and functioning like a more mechanical platoon.

The second activity was more an advanced form of the first. Haikan led the men in full teams of fifteen, the three squads of each team working together now in general siege and defense teams, with rotating possession of the flag among the lieutenants. This activity promoted the function of a larger team, which was important for the event of an emergency requiring all men to come to immediate action. This activity would not be possible without the prior, to instill the initial team-skills that were needed. This gave a more advanced practice of tactics for Haikan, and encouraged the soldiers to get along better with one-another and assist each-other altruistically, instead of each man trying to be the best. When they were finished, another mark had passed, and Haikan congratulated his men on their good work. He dismissed them all, and asked Micah and Geoffrey to stay behind. The men would all reconvene at the Laughing King Tavern that evening.

The final activity had Haikan training his abilities of sword with Geoffrey and Micah. One at a time he would spar with them using foils, and when one wished to sit down or take a break, the other would take his place. Footwork, parry/counter and agility were his focus in training. If a foil swung at him, he would attempt to dodge it and return the strike. Initial stance is light-footed and defensive. His legs would move swiftly to dodge, and he practiced tumbling and avoiding, and more importantly the counterattack. Naturally a cartwheel or tumble here and there would be rewarded with a stinging blow to the shoulder from Geoffrey or Micah. These whacks with the foil would represent a deep gash in real combat, forcing him to improve his dodging and acrobatic abilities. Haikan’s fighting technique lacked a shield, for he used a schlaeger and his moves were swift and nimble, as opposed to stocky and defensive. For that reason parry/dodge and countering was essential to his survival in a skirmish. In the end, a few combat tricks were mutually discovered by the three of them. Haikan’s risky techniques began to succeed towards the end, and he happily improved his skill with shieldless defense. By the time he had finished, it was another mark, and he was tired, and a bit sweaty. He congratulated Geoffrey and Micah on their skill of blade, and he dismissed them to reconvene in the Tavern in the evening.

OOC: Editted to add date to timestamp.

[Ashari]

Haikan's men were a little unsure about the game at first, giving a bit of trouble to their respective leaders of each 'team'. After a good fifteen burns they gave into the sport of it, but their reactions when losing the flag were angry and the winners were poor-sports about their gains. It wasn't until several rounds in, and after a good deal of win/losses, that a more even temperment settled in, and a more organized approach went into the game.

This was furthered by them being shuffled around from their original teams into larger ones, forcing the brief alliances to shift in way of new joined 'enemies'. After a time they gave into the fun of the game, and from there, the warriors became more aware of it's implications, and the way they were getting used to "fighting" together.

All in all, the lesson turned out rather well, with the comraderie, moral and fighting as a unit capabilites raised by all the men. Everyone was tired by the end of it, and ready to head off to get cleaned up before their farewell in the city. There were guys who had ideas of the women they would woo this evening, and they wanted to be in the best shape for it.

Haikan, for his part, finished off his intial instruction for a lesson of his own with his closest members of the caravan guards. Geoffrey and Micah were swift in their attacks, and steady with their parries. They held a strong defence against the leader of the crew, and by the end of it, all three were quite tired. Both were ready to do their own clean up and prepare for their sending off party that evening. They bid Haikan farewell.

NEW SKILL! Tactics: basic