Brain and Brawn | Land Of Twilight

Pallin

What's your favorite constellation?

GROUP:Sheikah

AGE:24 yrs old

WRITTEN:78 posts

TAG:@linktwin

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Nov 7, 2021 1:50:29 GMT

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Post by Pallin on Nov 7, 2021 1:50:29 GMT

Everyone has those days - weeks, even - where no matter what they do, their lives are missing something. Or, perhaps they feel as if they're in a rut. Regardless, things had been the same for Pallin for a very, very long time. That was until he had gotten abducted from Hyrule Field and taken to a bandit camp, where he would not have escaped without Josh Dragelion's help. For that he felt indebted to say the least. And while it was a change of pace, it certainly wasn't the sort of change that Pallin had wanted! The torture he had experienced, the secrets he had revealed, even being forced to reveal his own research before having presented it to the Royal Family... he was sure that he would have died had it not been for Josh.

Something else had been plaguing his mind, though. As sharp as he tried to keep it, worry consistently dulled the edge. He hadn't been able to fend for himself, nor any of the other captors. He hadn't ever been in a fight before, not even a friendly one - he had always preferred words to fists. The whole experience at the bandit camp made him realize that using brawn was just as necessary as using his brain. He felt humbled by that realization, and then scared. Scared because he had little experience with combat! Though, that is where Josh's comments came to Pallin's mind. Perhaps Josh would be able to help Pallin realize his newfound dream and be able to meld brains with brawn.

It was in Hyrule Field that the two met, with Pallin equipped with his daggers and the bow that he took from the bandit camp. He had a few arrows in the quiver in case they did target practice, but whatever Josh had in mind, Pallin thought to be ready for it.

Josh

Take it away~

Josh Dragelion

Protector of Ordon

GROUP:Hylian

AGE:25 yrs old

WRITTEN:1,036 posts

TAG:@josh

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Nov 8, 2021 2:10:45 GMT

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Post by Josh Dragelion on Nov 8, 2021 2:10:45 GMT

"I accept the burden...

“This should do nicely.”

He had been surprised when the astronomer had come to him asking for a combat lesson. Though he supposed he shouldn’t have been, an experience like what he had gone through would change just about anybody. So he understood in some respect what Pallin was going through, and why he had asked this. And he was happy to help the best that he could. So since he didn’t want to crowd him with the soldiers nearby, and his farm was too far away, he had found a place outside the city in Hyrule Field to work with.

“Tell me, Pallin. Do you have a preference for the type of weapon you would want to wield?” he inquired as he pulled out a sack of weapons and placed it down. He didn’t know what Pallin wanted, so he had just lugged the whole thing himself. Talk about dedication.

That has been placed upon me."

TEMPLATE MADE BY MIDDY!

Pallin

What's your favorite constellation?

GROUP:Sheikah

AGE:24 yrs old

WRITTEN:78 posts

TAG:@linktwin

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Nov 10, 2021 3:01:05 GMT

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Post by Pallin on Nov 10, 2021 3:01:05 GMT

A preference for a weapon, hm? Well, he hadn't really thought about it. He had his daggers - which he didn't really care much for, to be honest. They were old, rusty things, and the fact that he still owned them bugged him for some reason. Keeping them felt like a keepsake that one has no room for, but doesn't get rid of because of the sentimental value attached. Perhaps it was the daggers themselves and not the style of combat associated with them that he disliked. But was he making the right choice? Would his answer be correct? No, it obviously wasn't a 'right or wrong' type of question. It was simply a matter of preference.

Ah. "You know, Josh... I'm fascinated by people who fight with glaives. I think that might be the one for me. Long reach, yet close quarter combat, and maybe even a nice conduit for magic. Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. How does one use a glaive?"

It was something of interest for him. But the more the thought about it, the more he really felt like he could protect himself if he had a weapon like that. Sure, the traditional approach for a Sheikah would be daggers, kunai, and shuriken. Pallin never cared about staying in the boundaries of his people, though; even if something weren't traditional, he would go after it if it piqued his interest.

Josh Dragelion

Protector of Ordon

GROUP:Hylian

AGE:25 yrs old

WRITTEN:1,036 posts

TAG:@josh

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Nov 10, 2021 23:39:12 GMT

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Post by Josh Dragelion on Nov 10, 2021 23:39:12 GMT

"I accept the burden...

A glaive? That was interesting, wasn’t it? A small smile crossed his features. “Funny. My last student wanted a glaive too. Name’s Selene, maybe you’ll see her around sometime” he answered as he fished around the rack. “Luckily I made sure these were stocked with ‘em after that request, because I didn’t have ‘em before." Soon enough, he found a basic glaive and spun it around between his fingers to make sure it was good enough before tossing it to him. He then grabbed another.

“So unlike a spear or a lance, long polearms like these are meant to be moved around quickly. They’re for agility fighters, who move around a lot. By your eyes though, I don’t think being quick on your feet is a problem. Correct me if I’m wrong, of course. Glaives are essentially a mix of a spear and a staff, and you’ll need to learn aspects of both in order to wield it correctly. For now, though…”

He got into stance with it, surprisingly well despite it not being his main weapon. He had passed two years of retirement by this way, learning different weapon styles both for improvision reasons and to learn how to defend them. Who knew it would become useful for teaching?

“Mimic my stance then come at me. Your stance will adjust as you go, to match your body shape and comfort.”

That has been placed upon me."

TEMPLATE MADE BY MIDDY!

Pallin

What's your favorite constellation?

GROUP:Sheikah

AGE:24 yrs old

WRITTEN:78 posts

TAG:@linktwin

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Nov 12, 2021 0:04:24 GMT

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Post by Pallin on Nov 12, 2021 0:04:24 GMT

This polearm felt so awkward! He had seen other people in the past use weapons like it in their training. The Sheikah had a good understanding of weapons that allowed them to be nimble and, for the most part, silent. He remembered experiments that Sheikah researches were doing when it came to studying the anatomy of warriors when they would make strikes with their weapons. Ah, but he was getting ahead of himself again. Just trust the movement, and trust what Josh was saying. He knew how to do this better than anyone else Pallin could think of.

He chucked. "Heh, yeah, quick thinking is wha' I'm best at. But so... hm. Copy your stance... like this?" Holding the position felt a little stiff, and he wobbled a little bit trying to balance the thing. The pole itself was quite sturdy! Surely it would come in very handy once he fully understood how to wield it. "So. What parts work like the spear, and what parts would like a staff?" Upon a glance it would seem obvious what the answers would be, but he wanted Josh's perspective. He wanted to get to know him better, too, since the knight basically saved Pallin's life.

Josh Dragelion

Protector of Ordon

GROUP:Hylian

AGE:25 yrs old

WRITTEN:1,036 posts

TAG:@josh

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Nov 14, 2021 19:29:05 GMT

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Post by Josh Dragelion on Nov 14, 2021 19:29:05 GMT

"I accept the burden...

He could tell right away that Pallin was having some trouble with the posture at first. This was perfectly normal when wielding a new weapon, so he didn’t comment on it. But he copied the stance eventually, and while it was still a bit awkward, he nodded his head. It was a good start. Pallin then asked a question about it.

“Obviously the sharp portion’s your spear tip. It’s a bit larger than a spear tip, granted, and you’ll need to adjust to balance the weight in comparison to a spear. But the added length and girth allows for an easier time hitting an opponent if you’re not big on precision shots. As for the staff portion… Pretty much every part of the weapon is the staff. So long as you don’t stab yourself, you can bunt your opponents with everything you see before you. Whether it’s the side of the upper areas, the pommel, or the center, the weapon’s entire body is available to you. What you need to do is learn how to best make it work for you, since it relies on your own movements to work.”

He holds up the pommel end, then. “Some also outfit their pommel with a second blade end, which can make it harder to move it around without being a risk to yourself, but allows for more opportunity for a fatal strike. This one’s a blunt end though, as is yours, so you don’t have to worry about that. You should be focusing on how you move, and how the weapon should move with you.”

He cocked his head back, then. “So as I said. Come at me and strike. The best thing you can do is practice.”

That has been placed upon me."

TEMPLATE MADE BY MIDDY!

Pallin

What's your favorite constellation?

GROUP:Sheikah

AGE:24 yrs old

WRITTEN:78 posts

TAG:@linktwin

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Dec 7, 2021 1:57:30 GMT

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Post by Pallin on Dec 7, 2021 1:57:30 GMT

He practiced different positions while holding the weapon - should he stand with more weight on his right leg? The left? What about if he spread his legs equally apart and held the thing with one hand near the base of the pole, and the other hand closer to the spear tip? That was feeling most natural, so he swung it around a few times. His arms got twisted and his feet locked up; two very uncomfortable experiences while holding a weapon in hand.

"Well, I can easily see how people stab themselves when using something like this," he chuckled as, yet again, his arms got twisted in such a way that the spear tip was right above his head! He took a moment to unwind and returned to a neutral, standing position. 'Look at Josh, dummy,' he thought to himself. Obviously he was teaching, so he would know how to stand with the glaive. So, Pallin mirrored Josh's standing position. Still, he thought he found the most comfortable way to hold the thing. So, as Josh instructed, Pallin lunged forward with an overhead strike.

Josh Dragelion

Protector of Ordon

GROUP:Hylian

AGE:25 yrs old

WRITTEN:1,036 posts

TAG:@josh

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Dec 17, 2021 21:26:05 GMT

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Post by Josh Dragelion on Dec 17, 2021 21:26:05 GMT

He watched as Pallin’s limbs got locked up in trying to get the hang of it, but Josh held his stance until he got the hang of it. This was an understandable part of learning, he had no reason to chastise Pallin for getting tripped up while trying to learn a new style. Even the most hardened and experienced warriors could wind up like this. Though he did at least watch to make sure Pallin didn’t hurt himself with it.

But finally, he managed a position he seemed comfortable with that at least somewhat resembled the default stance. That was good. He didn’t have to mirror it exactly, for Josh had a different body type from Pallin. And there were many other factors that could lead to the need as well. Anything from favouring a different hand, to injuries that made him use a part of the body that compensated. Those could all cause variations. What mattered was what allowed for the best offence and defence for that fighter.

Then came the overhand strike. Interesting, so he was starting with using it like a club. The Hylian calmly sidestepped the straight down shot, batting the polearm back with a bunt of his own before turning the blunt end of the polearm towards Pallin and thrusting it forwards towards his abdomen.

“When striking with a polearm, you need to always be aware of what side you’re hitting with. Different strikes work better with different sides of the polearm. An overhand for example, is too clumsy with the sharp end. But it can be decent for blunts. You also need to stay aware of your weak spots. An overhand strike can deal good damage, but it leaves your vitals wide open. It’s also typically too slow, and shouldn’t be used against an opponent who’s waiting for you. Only use them as follow-ups. Never open with one.”

TEMPLATE MADE BY MIDDY!

LAST EDIT: Dec 17, 2021 21:29:03 GMT by Josh Dragelion

Pallin

What's your favorite constellation?

GROUP:Sheikah

AGE:24 yrs old

WRITTEN:78 posts

TAG:@linktwin

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Dec 29, 2021 2:55:46 GMT

Quote

Post by Pallin on Dec 29, 2021 2:55:46 GMT

Ahh, this was exciting. Taking the first steps to learn something was never the fun part for Pallin - it was experiencing something first-hand, in real time, that thrilled him. He never would have known that an overhead strike with a polearm would leave him wide open; of course, he did chastise himself a little bit for not thinking of it beforehand. But Josh's words made perfect sense- if both arms are extended out and above someone's head, of course it would leave their vitals open! And in the time it took to make an overhead attack, perhaps the opponent would have landed two or three counterattacks.

And his feet! Where were Pallin's feet going? They couldn't just... just stay planted on the ground like that, could they? No, that wouldn't make sense - he'd have to be nimble on his feet as if he were doing hand to hand combat. "So tell me: how do you use your feet when using a weapon? I'm used to hand-to-hand combat. But how do you keep balance with a heavy weapon in your hands?"

He stepped back and swung the weapon around a few times, seeing how it felt to push and pull his arms while gliding the pole-arm through the air.

Josh Dragelion

Protector of Ordon

GROUP:Hylian

AGE:25 yrs old

WRITTEN:1,036 posts

TAG:@josh

Brain and Brawn

POSTED ON Dec 31, 2021 22:34:34 GMT

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Post by Josh Dragelion on Dec 31, 2021 22:34:34 GMT

Judging by his expression, Pallin was at least getting the gist of what he was trying to say. Good, it was a good start. He let Pallin figure that out for a bit, and let him ask any questions that he might have before they moved on. The first question though, was one he wasn’t sure if he could describe with words. He tried to use the weapon from there, to get a feel for it. A good idea, but Josh could always do a demonstration, he supposed… Pallin appeared to be better as a visual learner.

“It depends on the weapon. No weapon is held or wielded the same, no matter its weight. A glaive is going to be different from a greatsword. The weight will always be distributed in different places, meaning you need to figure out what works for precisely this weapon” he lectured first as he took stance. “As so. I want you to defend.”

Once Pallin was aware of what was to come, he charged. Holding the polearm at his side with one hand while he ran, he would plant the glaive into the ground just before he could reach Pallin. Using the large polearm to support his weight, he would lift himself off with it and swing, keeping his weight shifted to where the polearm would stay in the ground as he would also use it to swing himself and kick at Pallin multiple times in the air, aiming for his chest and head. Flipping himself back onto the ground with the glaive being used like a swinging pole, the surprisingly agile Hylian would pull it out of the ground before taking advantage of what would hopefully be an opening to jab the blunt end of the polearm at Pallin’s chest, over and over again in hopes of either hitting the center or to break down his guard using the weight of the glaive.

It required a great deal of strength to wield a polearm this heavy and to still be able to use it with any real mobility. Not many would even try to use it, and even those who did would find it very difficult to master. But because of a certain person, he had ensured it was included in the training weapons he’d brought. And trained himself to use it in order to best train her. That was the only way he could do this.

Pallin would just have to consider himself lucky that Josh had gone to such lengths for the woman he loved. Not that he’d say anything on the matter…

TEMPLATE MADE BY MIDDY!

LAST EDIT: Dec 31, 2021 22:35:40 GMT by Josh Dragelion