THE WARDANCERS
A glimmer of light in the distant desert is often all one notices of an
advancing Wardancer. When observing the skillful and precise movement of
a Wardancer practicing his craft, people often forget that they are
watching a fierce fighter and not a beautiful dancer. This ability to
cause people to stand jaw dropped in awe is used to their advantage as
they take over the very minds of their observers.
The practice of Wardancing can be traced back to the late 13th century,
before the Demon Incursions. It is said that as the warriors of Antioch
would practice their swordsmanship in the surrounding desert they became
enthralled with the lithe, quick movements of the lizards. They began to
imitate the lizards and found that as these movements became second
nature they were much more capable of controlling their thoughts and
planning their attacks.
In 1467 an Antioch Akrabi named Srifat Midbere was practicing his craft
in the desert when a sudden sand storm blew up. Midbere was buried under
the hot sand for three days. Afflicted with heatstroke he became
delusional and began to have visions of an army of warriors in gold
armour and wielding golden sabres marching through the desert. Not only
were they using their swords to attack their enemies but they were able
to control their mind power in ways that he did not yet understand.
Eventually the sands shifted and Midbere was uncovered. He lay
unconscious in the desert heat until a trader's caravan happened upon
him. En route to Antioch they took him with. While being nursed back to
health he began to tell his friends about the visions he'd had. On the
10th day of the month of Solis, he called together his fellow warriors
and founded the guild of Wardancers.
Midbere divided his understanding of combat into three disciplines:
Bladedance, Shielddance and Wardance. Through Bladedance the Wardancers
command unparalleled control of the one-handed blade. Shielddance
enables them to use their shields in ways known only to them. While
their most complex of skills, Wardance, requires grace achieved only
through many years of practice and enables them to combine their entire
skillset in ways that often surprise the Gods themselves.
