The Balanced Sword

Name of Building: The Balanced Sword

Submitted by: Jade Williams

Type of Building: 2 story wood/stone building

Business Conducted: Sparring house/ fighter training

Owner: Chalice

Employees:

Talon Fleetsword (hm, F2)
Hondo & Santo (hem, F2)
1 steward- Morris (F0)

Description of Building:

The Balanced Sword is a long, rectangular building, constructed mostly of stone, with heavy wooden supports and floors. The heavy, front, double doors and interior supports are crafted of local hardwood timbers. The only other door leads to the storeroom located near the back of the left side wall. The doors can be bolted from the inside at the top and bottom, and each has an average quality lock. There are two windows on the upper floor, and none on the ground floor. Each window is longer than normal and they are located one on either side of the building.

The upper story is one large room used for sparring and lessons. It has several partitioned areas for changing and storing clothes and gear. Wooden weapons and several suits of padded armor line the walls. There are several common weapons such as long and short swords, rapiers, daggers, halberds, cloth-headed flails, and morning stars, to name a few.

The ground floor is divided into rooms of various sizes and shapes including winding corridors, to allow practice for underground and inside fighting. The walls and doors are constructed of thin wood. They were originally planned to be moveable but they are fixed for the moment, due to a shortage of funds. Chalice is working around this by hanging cloths to alter the layout. She also uses the accidental holes that have been made in the walls as new ambush-places.

Chalice lives in three rooms at the back of the ground floor which includes a small bedroom, toilet, and storeroom. They remain locked when she's not within. When Chalice isn't training, she spends time wandering through Arylon getting to know the people and local gossip.

Description of Business:

The Balanced Sword serves as a sparring arena and training area. Chalice has designed several training sessions, and general exercises for those she trains. She is proficient in most common weapons, and is learning new ones as time, and needs permit. A course for a fighter consists of basic sparring, mostly with Chalice, this teaches basic lunging and parrying, new moves, and improves balance. Basic courses are taught in the upper arena.

In this arena, single, double, or group combat take place. The fighters then move to the ground floor, where they participate in close-quarters training. Various encounters in doors, corridors, rooms, stairs, and so on are set up. Hondo & Santo handle most of this phase of training. Chalice comments and provides additional instructions.

Various lighting states can be achieved throughout the lower floor due to the lack of windows. The lighting ranges from darkness to bright light and many techniques can be taught in these varying conditions such as: infra-visual fighting, blind fighting and fighting while carrying a light source. One noticeable feature of this course is that Chalice doesn't like a student to stick to one weapon. This is mainly because, as most people find out, she has an extremely strong anti-mage bias. This becomes evident as she teaches her students ways to foil spellcasting, from pebble-hurling, to lasso use, smoke, thrown pepper, and a dozen other little tricks.

If the fighter doesn't want to learn these particular forms of fighting, Chalice pauses the training, while she explains her reasoning behind the course, and why she thinks the fighter should learn these techniques. She explains that every fighter should know how to take down the "arrogant mages" that pervade the Realms. If a fighter doesn't express this attitude, Chalice becomes very suspicious and asks them why. She pauses the training until she gets an answer. (This isn't to say she won't continue if she gets an answer she doesn't like- she's mainly on the lookout for dual/multi classed mages here).

When the Balanced Sword first opened, Chalice only trained fighters. Fiscal matters have forced Chalice to further open her training to priests, and the occasional rogue. She will not, under any circumstances train a mage.

Chalice is trying to work out a training deal with the local guards. She is also trying to gain a contact in the local quarry. She has an idea to supplement her course, by getting trainees to carry stone around town, thereby building muscle increasing fitness. How popular (or effective) this will be, has yet to be seen.

Sample Pricing:

Chalice attempts to accommodate every warrior that applies for training, being less generous with other professions.

A week's basic training:

20-30gp/level for fighters.
20-70gp/level for priests (varies widely depending on the deity worshiped)
50-60gp/level for rogues. (Only Chalice has a fighting style suited to rogues, so training time is usually 6 weeks).
100gp +/level for bards (for their magic using background).

Chalice is able to train a fighter in about 6 weeks (alone) or 4 weeks with the help of Talon, Hondo, and Santo.

Specialized training in exotic or unusual weapons (e.g. whip, polearms, even a flind bar hangs on one wall) are assessed on an individual basis. Different weapons usually add an extra 30- 50% to the cost and two weeks to the training time. Solo training is double the cost, but cuts the basic training time to 2.5 to 3 weeks.

Major NPC's:

Chalice: She is a tall frail-looking woman, in her late 20's with long light brown hair that she keeps loosely tied back. The years have given her a strong hatred for magic users, and her training tries to incorporate many ways to foil spellcasting and combat magic. Chalice owns The Balanced Sword, a training area for fighters, and occasionally members of the city guard.

Talon Fleetsword: Talon is from Waterdeep, he gained his spurs acting as a guard to Ilvastarr house nobles as part of an expedition into Undermountain. He was sent to Arylon as part of a hunting- expedition, and decided to stay, due to the large numbers of elves he met. Talon's mother had elf-blood in her recent ancestry, and told amazing stories to Talon as a child. Since then has always been fascinated with things elven, and is always looking for elven items, stories, and so on.

Hondo and Santo: Hondo & Santo are brothers from a large extended family of half-elves. They live in Arylon, as they find it to be an accepting home, rather than living as outcasts in other communities.

Morris (F0): Morris is a young boy, who desires to become a fighter. He hung around the Balanced Sword until Chalice gave him a job. His main duty is cleaning, and re-shelving weapons.

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	Name of Building: The Balanced Sword Submitted by: Jade Williams Type of Building: 2 story wood/stone building Business Conducted: Sparring house/ fighter training Owner: Chalice Employees: Talon Fleetsword (hm, F2) Hondo & Santo (hem, F2) 1 steward- Morris (F0) Description of Building: The Balanced Sword is a long, rectangular building, constructed mostly of stone, with heavy wooden supports and floors. The heavy, front, double doors and interior supports are crafted of local hardwood timbers. The only other door leads to the storeroom located near the back of the left side wall. The doors can be bolted from the inside at the top and bottom, and each has an average quality lock. There are two windows on the upper floor, and none on the ground floor. Each window is longer than normal and they are located one on either side of the building. The upper story is one large room used for sparring and lessons. It has several partitioned areas for changing and storing clothes and gear. Wooden weapons and several suits of padded armor line the walls. There are several common weapons such as long and short swords, rapiers, daggers, halberds, cloth-headed flails, and morning stars, to name a few. The ground floor is divided into rooms of various sizes and shapes including winding corridors, to allow practice for underground and inside fighting. The walls and doors are constructed of thin wood. They were originally planned to be moveable but they are fixed for the moment, due to a shortage of funds. Chalice is working around this by hanging cloths to alter the layout. She also uses the accidental holes that have been made in the walls as new ambush-places. Chalice lives in three rooms at the back of the ground floor which includes a small bedroom, toilet, and storeroom. They remain locked when she's not within. When Chalice isn't training, she spends time wandering through Arylon getting to know the people and local gossip. Description of Business: The Balanced Sword serves as a sparring arena and training area. Chalice has designed several training sessions, and general exercises for those she trains. She is proficient in most common weapons, and is learning new ones as time, and needs permit. A course for a fighter consists of basic sparring, mostly with Chalice, this teaches basic lunging and parrying, new moves, and improves balance. Basic courses are taught in the upper arena. In this arena, single, double, or group combat take place. The fighters then move to the ground floor, where they participate in close-quarters training. Various encounters in doors, corridors, rooms, stairs, and so on are set up. Hondo & Santo handle most of this phase of training. Chalice comments and provides additional instructions. Various lighting states can be achieved throughout the lower floor due to the lack of windows. The lighting ranges from darkness to bright light and many techniques can be taught in these varying conditions such as: infra-visual fighting, blind fighting and fighting while carrying a light source. One noticeable feature of this course is that Chalice doesn't like a student to stick to one weapon. This is mainly because, as most people find out, she has an extremely strong anti-mage bias. This becomes evident as she teaches her students ways to foil spellcasting, from pebble-hurling, to lasso use, smoke, thrown pepper, and a dozen other little tricks. If the fighter doesn't want to learn these particular forms of fighting, Chalice pauses the training, while she explains her reasoning behind the course, and why she thinks the fighter should learn these techniques. She explains that every fighter should know how to take down the "arrogant mages" that pervade the Realms. If a fighter doesn't express this attitude, Chalice becomes very suspicious and asks them why. She pauses the training until she gets an answer. (This isn't to say she won't continue if she gets an answer she doesn't like- she's mainly on the lookout for dual/multi classed mages here). When the Balanced Sword first opened, Chalice only trained fighters. Fiscal matters have forced Chalice to further open her training to priests, and the occasional rogue. She will not, under any circumstances train a mage. Chalice is trying to work out a training deal with the local guards. She is also trying to gain a contact in the local quarry. She has an idea to supplement her course, by getting trainees to carry stone around town, thereby building muscle increasing fitness. How popular (or effective) this will be, has yet to be seen. Sample Pricing: Chalice attempts to accommodate every warrior that applies for training, being less generous with other professions. A week's basic training: 20-30gp/level for fighters. 20-70gp/level for priests (varies widely depending on the deity worshiped) 50-60gp/level for rogues. (Only Chalice has a fighting style suited to rogues, so training time is usually 6 weeks). 100gp +/level for bards (for their magic using background). Chalice is able to train a fighter in about 6 weeks (alone) or 4 weeks with the help of Talon, Hondo, and Santo. Specialized training in exotic or unusual weapons (e.g. whip, polearms, even a flind bar hangs on one wall) are assessed on an individual basis. Different weapons usually add an extra 30- 50% to the cost and two weeks to the training time. Solo training is double the cost, but cuts the basic training time to 2.5 to 3 weeks. Major NPC's: Chalice: She is a tall frail-looking woman, in her late 20's with long light brown hair that she keeps loosely tied back. The years have given her a strong hatred for magic users, and her training tries to incorporate many ways to foil spellcasting and combat magic. Chalice owns The Balanced Sword, a training area for fighters, and occasionally members of the city guard. Talon Fleetsword: Talon is from Waterdeep, he gained his spurs acting as a guard to Ilvastarr house nobles as part of an expedition into Undermountain. He was sent to Arylon as part of a hunting- expedition, and decided to stay, due to the large numbers of elves he met. Talon's mother had elf-blood in her recent ancestry, and told amazing stories to Talon as a child. Since then has always been fascinated with things elven, and is always looking for elven items, stories, and so on. Hondo and Santo: Hondo & Santo are brothers from a large extended family of half-elves. They live in Arylon, as they find it to be an accepting home, rather than living as outcasts in other communities. Morris (F0): Morris is a young boy, who desires to become a fighter. He hung around the Balanced Sword until Chalice gave him a job. His main duty is cleaning, and re-shelving weapons. [Return to Submissions] [Return to Top] [Back to Arylon]