Book - Way of the Blades

Way of the Blades - Chapter 1 - Reth'Vel

Reading the badly worn book is slow going for Selica. However, it is in common, though old, and gives clear meaning to the elvish counterparts.

Reth'Vel, meaning "arcane blade", is what I have come to understand the elvish masters of magic and sword fighting. They have learned to meld their ancient understanding of arcane magic, learned from the giants of Xen'Drik, with an incredible display of swordsmanship. Indeed, they seem to dance upon the battlefield and the blades sing a song of eloquence, their feet beat a pulse that is dizzying to comprehend. Let it not be said that they waste their long lives, they seek perfection out of every maneuver. I have learned, that the most basic form of being a Reth'Vel is indeed; form. Each movement is a blend of one form to another; as if they are writing poetry in their violence.

---

Selica learns that, one, she needs to approach this book chapter by chapter; as each one expands upon the last. And, two, she will need to spend time not just reading the book but practicing forms. The most basic forms expressed in the book are; lotus blossoming, leaves dancing in the wind, frog leaping from lilies, and pierce the falling fruit. There is also attention to detail in which Selica learns; in order to learn the moves of your opponent, watch their neck, not the eyes, for the eyes deceive the opponent, the eyes can lie.

Form one, beginner's stance, Lotus Blossoming. A form in which the person relaxes downward, and lifts their blade upwards, before resting it before them (holding it with two hands). The person shifts their weight loosely up and down, bobbing gently to remain ready for attack. This is an opening form stance, meant to bring the person into focus with their blade.

Form two, leaves dancing in the wind, beginner's footwork. A series of forward and backwards movements that are meant to be changed at unpredictable times. It keeps the person in a defensible position while allowing them to be open to counterattack.

Form three, frog leaping from lilies, beginner's dodging. From leaves dancing in the wind, it is possible to make quick hops to any direction, allowing the person to keep control over their balance while attempting to throw an aggressive opponent off balance.

Form four, piercing the falling fruit, beginner's thrust. Once the opponent is thrown off balance, the person can make a sharp forward thrust with both hands, to pierce the off balance opponent in the heart. The four of these in combination are meant as a very basic way to strike at openings that any opponent may make a mistake in.

Way of the Blades - Chapter 2 - Rhin'Sal

Rhin'Sal... Its most close translation in our common tongue is "Inner Power". This does not do it justice. Its true meaning is closer to "Inner Fire", or the flame from within. I have witnessed their prowess over the dance of blades and their constant attention to every fundamental movement of their forms. This is not only a mastery over body, it is a mastery over mind; perhaps emotion. They do not sleep, instead they light a single candle and enter what I believe to be a trance like state; focused only on the candle's flame. They have told me it mirrors their own inner flame. An immaterial fire they control within their heart and mind. They focus only on this flame during the dance. They rid themselves of worry, thought, and consciousness. Instead they rely on the instinct, and long years of training, to dance the blades. In my time here, they have taught me how to begin practicing the Rhin'Sal...

---

Selica can now practice Rhin'Sal. She can begin to overcome her emotional problems. As such, when she has to roll from her Anger or Depression tables, she can treat the roll as 1 less (minimum of 1) once per long rest. She still must sleep as normal, but some of the downtime of a long rest is spent practicing Rhin'Sal

Way of the Blades - Chapter 3 - Reth'Tal

Reth'Tal, Arcane Mind... Perhaps better translated to "Power of the Mind". It is a teaching in many beliefs, some may say, "Mind over matter." or "Force of Will". It is, in its essence, a way of living. A body can be pushed to its limits with an unbridled mind. A body can break while doing incredible things, should the mind be desperate enough. This is, I believe, where they go during their practice of Rhin'Sal. It is where I try to go as well. It is difficult, as an outsider, to understand how their minds are capable of such things. Elves are extraordinarily long lived, and it makes it hard to comprehend that a being can spend decades perfecting one detail of their daily approach to thought. Reth'Tal is a way of thinking, and thus a way of action. Thought before, during, and after action. There is always something, some detail, to trace at all times; that might provide a clue to a better life tomorrow. They do not practice their forms to become better with their blades. Through Reth'Tal, I have learned that they practice their forms to perfect their thought and action; to find every detail that is incorrect or something that can be improved. Perhaps their blade is just a hair unbalanced, even less. Maybe they find that their mind wanders. What if their heartbeats aren't exactly optimal for the rigors of blade-dacing? I do not know if such control is truly possible, but it certainly seems so.

---

In learning to practice Reth'Tal, Selica begins to learn how to control her thoughts better during times of dire action. Once per long rest, if she rolls less than 10 on an attack dice, she may instead treat it as a 10. This represents her force of will overcoming any physical shortcomings, such as an attempt to crash through an enemy's shield, or slash through difficult armor.

Way of the Blades - Chapter 4 - d'Selsa o'Vel

Do not, under any circumstances, speak the words d'Selsa o'Vel to any elf of Arenal or Xendrik. I cannot stress this enough. Two of my expedition colleagues have made that fatal mistake. It means "The Dance of Blades". To say those words is to issue a challenge to who you speak those words to. I have only seen it issued elf to elf in times of visceral dispute. I have never seen both the challenged, nor challenger, survive the fight. One of them ALWAYS perishes, and the other is often gravely injured. The Dance of Blades is as much a part of life as is breathing to the Elves. It is the dance between life and death, a dance made by all living creatures; until eventually, death is the better dancer. There is no doubt that these elves do not believe in immortality, for if the great dragon above can be destroyed; so too must all things weaker than it. No matter what, everything ceases its dance with death eventually.

---

In this chapter, Selica learns that The Dance of Blades is not only a challenge to many elves; but that this is the defining portion of text (in this book) that separates two belief systems. Those that believe immortality exists in the form of undying (those loyal to the Undying Court), and those that believe there is no escape from death. That the only true immortality lies within memory and ancestry, but even then; things go forgotten and lost. This is what went on to found the beliefs of Valenar elves. It's worth noting that the elves of Xen'drik, mostly drow, believe in something more in-between. Hence why "d'Selsa o'Vel" is of grave importance and consequence in Xen'drik. It is less about death and what may or may not come after; but firmly about the before. The living portion that comes before eternal rest. They focus on the dance, while the blade eventually comes for all.