III. On the Violent Arts

“With over ten thousand year history, it is unfortunate how many have the notion that all known forms of violent arts come from Belindar (praise be the Southern Star) and the twelve apprentices? As Belindar would say, ‘appropriation is nothing new’; what they taught they learned from the Shivans, Mycene, The Evil Ones and Trow they slaughtered in illuminating combat.

And with an empire spawning ten thousand stars there was no shortage of creative expressions of the violent arts! A Shivan favorite; the Domination Derby, is used even to this day for training Siol recruits in the high speed arts of dismemberment.

From the famed martial arts of the knightly orders such as the Great Sacred Pugilant Fist or the Wanting Ways Vorpal Void Fist, to the clever Drunken Monkey Paw Mendicant Fist of the Beggars, and even (despite what people may attribute to shaping) the Crimson Heron Impaling Dagger Fist or Heaven’s Breaking Thunder Dragon Fist styles of the Siol, there’s well over a dozen main styles of killing arts!

Shamed is the warrior that confuses herself with the use of hidden vibro weapons, when decapitation with a single strike would achieve the intent in half the time and leave the other three arms free to enjoy a wholesome meal.”

– Plume Packs Painful Pummeling First of Thirty Two. Refined Shivan Pugilist Nun.