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Now that Audrey was able to retrieve her letters–the ones that hadn't been disposed of by now at least–and her recent missive (Along with an explanation after she had confirmed that the postman had been very thoroughly sacked) on the way, she had plenty of other bits and bobs of Business to concern herself with, as the fall gave way to Winter and the final stretch of practice and meditation before the great Tournament was underway.
She had made great strides in her understanding of the Black-Red Lightning–it was assuredly some degree of Atavism, a measure of power in the Eotenslaga lineage that wasn't directly tapped upon by most of their known techniques. She had compared and contrasted what came naturally to her, when using the family's Hard-Fall style–compared and contrasted it with her peers, and even got a moment to speak with Chad's master–the leading expert on the Martial Arts in Warwick–and arguably one of the top specialists in Wessex. He had some interesting insights, especially after asking Audrey to compare the Giant Slaying Blow that drew on the lightning, and the other techniques that didn't.
"The difference seems pretty clear to me." He said, after a moment, to think it over. "Hard-Fall's built around studying an enemy and setting them up, but the Giant Slaying Blow… It's more than is strictly necessary, you know? It'd be better to take advantage of the opening to destroy their ability to fight, whether they survive it or not. Whatever's going on there, it's pure offence with all other considerations secondary."
The thought stuck in the back of her mind, chewed over and examined from top to bottom. In the end, Audrey thought she had an inkling to it. Where she had once thought the Eotenslaga bloodline to be primarily focused on analysis and takedowns as a single element, it seemed like the analysis and takedown effects were actually two separate strings that came together in the Giant-Slaying Blow. The Black-Red Lightning was a manifestation of the destructive aspect then, right?
The Giant-Slaying Blow was "About taking down superior blows in a single, perfect stroke", was it not? That was the cross-over between the two halves of the Eotenslaga bloodline that allowed for the Destructive Aspect to merge properly with the Analysis Aspect. As long as she took that into account, she could develop new techniques even now. She even managed to work something out, harnessing the Black-Red Lightning in a brand new technique that could let her peel away armor–but at a much less taxing expense than the full out Giant-Slaying Blow!
Black-Red Lightning? Completed: Gained new Hard-Fall Rote 'Black Scratch' at Rough
Still, it seemed like there would be a great deal of additional work to be done, if she were to harness the full potential of her birthright. While the Giant-Killer was known for his ability to overcome some of the most terrible foes around, none of the tales spoke of the lightning that he wielded–only his cunning use of traps and capacity to bring low the giants in a single blow to the neck–once he had pinned them in place of course.. Was it directly inherited from him? Or was it another legacy more-ancient-still?
It was exciting! To see so much potential left to be unearthed from the legacy she had inherited! Now that there was nothing intercepting her mail, she would assuredly be able to make contact with her kinsmen when they met soon, and hopefully get access to the archives–or at least some of the stories that aren't spread around!
There had to be some, right?
(Further progression locked until Audrey has a chance to meet up with her kinsmen and access the Eotenslaga Archives)
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Winter descends, driving everyone from the fields to the best shelter they could muster, huddling around one another in company, all in the name of warding off the cold for just a little longer. It wasn't one of the worst ones Audrey had experienced, but it wasn't particularly mild either.
Snow, rain, cold at every turn, and difficult even to get out into the salle and get much practice, so it was fitting that the winter season was often set to the task of academic pursuits over more physical activities.
Even so, her advancement to the Third Decade left her much in this field to master–she had already been instructed in the basics up until now, the necessity of sanctifying the space in her soul through which Zeal condensed, taking it from a natural wellspring into a proper House of God. While the full architectural madness was still several steps away, she did at least need to have the foundations established before she could expect to make any real headway furthering her advancement. The good news was that the trip to Winchestershire for the Tournament would save her no small amount of time, securing the good Zeal infused stone that would be required in the construction would be far easier at the heartland of Wessex' trade routes than it would be here on the borders. If she was very fortunate, she might even find some useful bits and bobs that could focus the flow of energy, granting strength beyond the mere ability to excel.
It was here that the yawning pit that was Chivalric Cultivation began to open wide, demanding wealth beyond avarice to achieve the best advancement. For all that the Kingdom had been undergoing a resurgence in recent times with King Alfred's sagely rule, it was still going to be difficult to match aspiring Knights from the Continent without good fortune.
At least she had her stipend now–the few years of collection would at least give her enough to get her feet on the ground if she was willing to commit to it–but it would also be a prime opportunity to secure other assets. She may have an opportunity to raise some additional funds over the course of the tournament–but her performance was key to acquiring everything she might need. As long as she did 'Well enough', she could likely secure enough prize money to win her steed. At least one of the major competitions should do it–anything beyond that would grant her greater opportunity to secure greater opportunities still.
She was Audrey Eotenslaga after all, nothing but the best was good enough for her.
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AN: Imma be blunt, this update fought me, and it didn't help that the team's been hit with a metal bat in the past few weeks.
But I said I was committed to making this happen, and I haven't forgotten that, so here's a doot. Not edited, maybe not the best, but I've kept you all waiting long enough as it is.
