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Strife of the Simplest Way- “Nature operates in the shortest way possible,” the mantra of practitioners of the Strife of the Simplest Way, the belief that all else is unnecessary but the very simplest manner to overwhelm an opponent. This strife is not a martial art of excessive flourishes or flashy techniques, but rather a simple, no holds barred method of neutralizing and enemy as quickly and easily as possible. Favored by soldiers, assassins, and back alley thugs, practitioners of this strife seek to put down their foes as quickly and efficiently as possible, using minimal movements and straightforward strikes meant to disable or kill in a heartbeat. A favored combat method of the Order of Redactors in Vissio, the origins of this strife are difficult to track, as there are seemingly schools across Arcem, or at least anywhere there is conflict.

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Stylistically, this strife resembles Filipino knife fighting akin to Eskrima and Kali, or modern military combatives. Utilizing quick, penetrative strikes to sensitive or vulnerable areas, the techniques of this Strife require the practitioner to cut their foe in order to make full use of their martial art, making particularly elusive or defensive opponents a challenge for even skilled practitioners of this Strife

Strife of the Simplest Way: Greater Strife- this strife disallows the use of armor and non-edged melee weapons. Cut the Distance- hound a wounded foe. As an on turn action, the adept may commit effort for the scene to instantly move up to 60 feet to enter melee range with a foe they have struck and dealt damage to within the last round. While this movement does not trigger opportunity attacks for leaving or moving through threatened areas, the adept must end the movement within melee range of their foe. If the foe is beyond 60 feet, this technique cannot be used. Cut the Distractions- ignore hazards while fighting. As an on turn action, the adept commits effort, and as long as effort remains committed, while engaged in melee combat with an enemy, the adept ignores difficult terrain, allowing the practitioner fight on any surface or even walk on air. Environmental hazards or Zone of Danger deal half damage while effort is committed, but if the adept is not in melee combat, effort cannot be committed to this technique. Cut the Body- Draw vicious weapons. Constant. The adept’s melee attacks always do at least 1 point of damage, even on a miss, and their weapon attacks are treated as magical Cut the Strike- Redirect missed attacks. As an instant action, the adept can commit effort for the day when a foe misses them with a melee attack, changing the target of the attack to another enemy within range but keeping the same attack roll but compared against the new targets AC. Cut the Soul- Cut away the enemy’s magic. As an on turn action, the adept may commit effort for the scene to dispel a gift or effect on an enemy or area that they have struck and dealt damage to within melee range this turn, as though it were an offensive dispel. This technique only affects a foe once per scene. Cut it All- Make the final cut. Commit effort for the day as a smite action, choosing one opponent within melee range, which the adept makes and attack against. If the attack hits, the damage roll is read straight. Only one such target can be affected by this technique, causing a mob to take damage equal to the individual hit dice of one of the creatures within. This technique deals no damage on a miss, and regardless of the result, all attacks directed at the adept until the beginning of the adept’s next turn automatically hit and deal maximum damage.

Strife of the Simplest Way: Lesser Strife Initiate- an initiate may double their speed for a round when chasing an opponent and must attack the foe at the end of their movement, and may commit effort for the scene to re-roll their damage on an attack, taking the higher result. Disciple- the disciple may commit effort to ignore difficult terrain while moving in a fight, and if a foe misses them with a melee attack, the disciple may also commit effort for the scene as an instant action to make an attack against that foe Master- if the Master strikes an enemy with a melee attack, they dispel any ongoing low magic effects rather than doing damage, and deal maximum damage with their next attack, but all attacks against them automatically hit and deal maximum damage until the beginning of the master’s next turn



Sample Master: The Servant of None- within the dark jungles of the Thousand Gods, petty divinities lord over hapless mortals, walking among their followers, demanding worship and ruling as tyrants. While most of the mortals submit themselves to the tenets of these cults in exchange for protection and succor provided from the bounty brought forth by theotechnological wonders and divine gifts of the small Gods, there are some who reject the worship and protections of the Gods. Some even choose to fight back, Godkillers of singular ability and vicious intent. The Servant of None is one such warrior. Once called Citra, she was raised in a small village to a petty tyrant of a God, it was to be her destiny to be taken as the one of the God’s wives, as all the women of the village were. It would have been, had fate not intervened. Forced to take part in the ritual of Wedding, she fled the village, to be ritualistically pursued by her tribe’s Patron God before being dragged back to attend the God as one of his new wives. Escaping into the jungle, fleeing for her life rapacious grasp of her leering deity, her desperate flight took her into the hidden depths of the jungle. Exhausted, she collapsed before a giant tree, resigning herself to capture and worse. Yet, before Citra was to be taken, she heard a voice, like black needles scratching at the back if her mind. Looking up, rammed into the trunk of the great tree, was a knife. No, not a knife, but a shard of black glass that seemed to drink in the light and color around it, leaving the surrounding world muted and dull. Though speaking in a language she nary understood, the piece of the Void before her offered her succor, though for a terrible price. Hearing the thundering footsteps of the God pursuing her, and practically feeling his hot breath upon her skin, she reached up to grasp the Shard. As the jagged edges cut deep into her flesh, she felt the emptiness within seep into her, changing the girl she was into the monster she is. When the God finally crashed through into the clearing, what he found was not the fearful girl he pursued, but a being of terrible power. Ignoring him, for this creature was no longer Citra, no longer that girl, for in grasping the blade it had killed its old self. Displaying a mastery of the Strife of the Simplest Way, the Servant of None began a systematic butchery of their old village, not wasting a single movement before returning to the God, now cowering before the Servant of None. In a single stroke, the God was broken, his divine gifts unable to heal him. Leaving the deity a mewling, broken, crippled thing, the Servant of None turned towards the deepest portions of the jungle, a predator, the Gods themselves their prey.

Where once was the girl Citra, now the Servant of None remains. In drawing the knife from the tree, Citra was possessed by a violent entity from the Uncreated Night, but somehow retained enough of herself to create a symbiotic connection between her and the being, a bridge between existence and non-existence that formed a new personality that is the dominant mind. Possessing the Cold Breath of an Uncreated, the Servant of None is bound to the Word of Murder and is a Master of the Strife of the Simplest Way, skills bequeathed to them by the entity when Citra took up the blade. A hunter of Gods, the Servant of None stalks the jungles, murdering any God she runs across. While this may spell a fight for any Godbound they run across, perhaps some of Citra remains within, fighting the bloodthirsty instincts of the Uncreated Monster within.

The Servant of None- AC: 5 intrinsic Hit Dice: 15 Attack: +10×2 Damage: 1d10+2 Knife straight Move 50’ run Save: 8+ Morale: 12 Effort: 7. Cold Breath: 3. Can act 3 times per round