Saint Mark
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Posts posted by Saint Mark
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Bruno Goldwash, Loose-Head Prop for the
Saint Mark Lions Royal Rugby Team, and his brother, Baxtor, the Tight-Head Prop,
demonstrating their before and after looks.
The Lions don't shave until the final game of the match.
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Coach Rahl paced in front of his attentive players. They were seated in a small conference room at their hotel, going over the game they had just lost against the Zoranians.
"That was a decent match, and we kept it close, but we could have done so much better. Bruno and Baxtor, you are our strongest forwards. Using your strength in scrums and rolling mauls, we should be able to achieve significant territory gain. You should pick and drive until the moment is right to release it to the backs. I know you know this, but you need to keep it in your heads. What did we practice? Exactly this. You were too timid. The couple of times that you did execute well, Michael and Nelson weren't ready. You guys weren't focused."
He sipped from his cup of South Coast Blend and continued.
"There were things we did well, of course, which is part of the reason we were able to keep it close. You organized quickly. Your heads were up and looking at the opposition. You didn't do too badly at controlling the space and it was clear that you enjoyed your tackling. Communication could have been better, Michael."
Michael started to object but caught himself at a raised eyebrow from the coach.
"You are a talented team. You didn't play too badly, but can do much better. I have confidence that you will play much better. You were just overly excited by our first win. Now we have a loss. That is well enough. It will sober us up a bit and help us to focus. You have the afternoon off. Get some rest, enjoy the sights, and be ready for practice at 7 AM."
- Giovanniland, embubbleblue, Zoran and 1 other
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4
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several months before the match ...
Nelson Saint Mark, Fly Half for the Saint Mark Royal Lions, sat in a small parlor lit only by eight candles placed at points around the purple-satin-draped table. The flickering light cast alternating light and dark on the wrinkled face of the woman seated across from him. She stared at the crystals she had just thrown, her sharp green eyes searching for patterns in the sparkling reds, yellows, greens, and blues. Although officially denounced by The Faith, divination dates from the time of The Mystics and was still practiced by a few in Saint Mark, especially those of the oldest families. Nelson was from such a family. Before every important undertaking, he sought the advice of Madam Konosco.
He know better than to interrupt her, but his anxiety showed itself clearly in his taut features.
"Your team will perform better than expected." She looked up and smiled slightly. " ... and your play will prove to be crucial several times. In order to improve your light and lessen your dark, you must wear this while you play." With that she took one of the small red crystals from the table, threaded it onto a thin silver cord, and handed it to the now much more relaxed rugby player.
"Thank you Madam Konosco!" Nelson replied full of gratitude. He took the bead from her and tied it around his neck. "I'm always so grateful for your wise help and guidance." He stood, bowed slightly, and left several large bills on the table before heading through the draped doorway.
- Giovanniland, United Adaikes, Zoran and 1 other
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4
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This post is the combined RP effort of Giovanniland and Saint Mark
With a wide grin, Prince Marcarius faced the salty wind and warm sun as The Sea Lion cut through the foamy chop of the New Zoradian harbor. It was early in the morning and the sails were taut in a stiff breeze. He and King Giovanni VI were relishing the privacy and freedom of the prince’s royal yacht.
“Both of our teams did quite well, Giovanni. We play Zoran next and that’ll be tough. The crowd will definitely be on their side. How do you rate your chances for your next match?”
King Giovanni VI replied: “Indeed the first matchday was nice for both our teams! We won against Hanita Gracse, a newcomer to the tournament but nevertheless a good team.” He continued, “our next match will also be considerably harder. Giovanniland will play against Hertfordshire & Jammbo, which are the champions of the 1st Rugby World Cup, and have a roughly equal rating in comparison to our team (54.51 for us vs. 53.77 for them). So I think both teams have equal chances of winning.”
“Good luck to you! Have you had a chance to think about my idea of our two nations hosting a joint gala fundraiser in support of Zoran’s widows and orphans? I know they have given their blessing to the concept, and my ministers think the people of Saint Mark will be behind it.”
“That is certainly a great idea!” remarked the Giovannilandian king. “I personally support the idea, although I would also have to talk to the Prime Minister Amore Gile Abrente to confirm. However, I am sure they will also agree, and will contact them shortly after this conversation.”
“Thank you, Giovanni. I’m still haunted by the sadness in the eyes of so many of the brave Zoradians in the immediate aftermath of the war and want so much to make things better for them. It was such a tragedy.”
The prince stared at the horizon for a minute and then shook himself free of his thoughts.
“Enough of that! We are doing what we can and I’m glad we can work together on this!
Let’s take this craft out a bit further and see if we can catch some real wind!”“Indeed! Changing the subject a little, how is Saint Mark at the moment?”, the King asked. “In Giovanniland we have just finished another edition of the Lavender Festival and New Year, and also the Empire Day celebrations on January 16th.”
“It sounds like you’ve been busy! This is a quieter time of year in Saint Mark … after the First Light festival and before the Rebirth. I enjoyed a ski trip to the mountains with The Electors … well, enjoyed it somewhat I guess … part of it was politics, of course. I’ve also been working on my sailing. Oh! I’m hosting a private showing of several important works of the Masters in Sanctus Leo next month. I’d be honored if you could attend.”
“In fact the past few months have been busy in Giovanniland. As for the private showing, that sounds like it will be a very good time! I haven’t visited Saint Mark for a while, and this is a good opportunity to do so, therefore I gladly accept the invite,” the King replied. “Back to sports, I have also heard that many nations are talking about their own processes of inducting new players into their national teams. How does that happen in Saint Mark?”
“Ah. Good question. As you probably know, Saint Mark didn’t even have a national team until two years ago. Last year was the first time they ever competed internationally. Rugby is just now becoming popular in our country. What we did to develop this team was to have each college and club send their three best players to open try-outs in Sanctus Leo. There, under the close observation of our coaches over several weeks, fifty were chosen. Over the next month, these were winnowed down to the current team. There was one late addition just before we arrived. Colin is the son of our coach, Sir Evan, and he plays as an Outside Center in a reserve position. Arthur Freeborn, the previous Reserve Outside Center, had some bad luck with appendicitis. How was your team formed?”
“That is certainly an interesting process! In Giovanniland, rugby was introduced in the early 14th century, and the first national team was formed in 1329 in the capital Giovannia, with some of the best players from the National Rugby League of Giovanniland, itself created four years earlier. This is a standard process used for most sports in our country, and I presume also in other parts of the world,” noted the King.
As the King finished talking, both noticed the conversation had continued for a long time. They decided to look at and appreciate the nature around the New Zoradian harbor, as the morning passed and the sun rose to the top of the sky.
- Larxia, embubbleblue, United Adaikes and 4 others
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6
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1
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Helmut Landgraf, reporting from Spirit Park:
Kick-off saw the Lions with a slight wind advantage, and surprisingly they literally parked themselves inside the Denieri half for the next 25 minutes. Their play was aggressive and quick and their opponents found them difficult to counter. With little ball to play with, their forwards were called on many times to protect their own line and then young Denieri flanker Blake Gibson broke the try drought. A good bust for a loose forward, that made the score 10-3 after shared early penalties.
The final plays of the game were shear Lion brilliance. Using a set move, the familiar wall of forwards took a couple of tap-kicks – Napoli almost scored and then the backs released the ball to Shoreman, who offloaded beautifully to Hightower who capped off a fine match with a try and a haul of 14 individual points. That demonstrated their total application against a side who seemed hamstrung by over-complicating their gameplan. The final score of 25-14 must make Sir Evan, and all of Saint Mark, proud to be sure.
The Lions have come along way since last year's inaugural tournament. Whether or not they can stay in the game against the Zoranian home team remains to be seen.
- embubbleblue, Giovanniland, Min-Su and 2 others
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5
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This post was developed between Zoran and Saint Mark
Clarkson, valet to His Serene Highness Prince Marcarius, unpacked his sovereign’s wardrobe in the elegantly appointed penthouse suite in New Zoradia’s best hotel, The Royal Sunset. Except for the faint whiff of new paint smell in some of the hallways, the fact that it was only completed after the civil war wasn’t evident at all.
While he worked, he glanced at the prince. He looked calm, sipping Aurum Sherry and reading over the Saint Markan Clarion, but Clarkson knew him too well. The prince was nervous … and maybe excited? Hmm … he had met with Queen Atsil several times in the aftermath of their civil war … Saint Mark had been a great help in providing funds and expertise to help them rebuild … but those had been official visits. Tonight’s meeting with Her Majesty was a private dinner with nothing official on the agenda. I wonder … ?
The limousine pulled away as Prince Marcarius entered the manor. He looked up. It was an impressive structure, and quite secure to be sure, but certainly not where a Zoranian queen should be residing, he thought. It was a shame all the damage that had been done, not to mention the lives that had been lost or ruined, in the awful civil war. Under his direction, Saint Mark had done all they could to assist. It still didn’t seem enough. Well, no more dwelling on state affairs. He was here to develop a closer, more personal relationship with Atsil. While his government and courtiers were in favor of this for obvious political reasons, he didn’t think that anyone suspected how this meeting made him feel. His palms were sweating and his heart was racing. Could this develop into more than two leaders of allied nations seeking closer ties?
A footman in the queen’s livery met him at the door and showed him into the small, but beautiful marble foyer. A carpeted staircase descended beneath a warmly glowing chandelier.
It had been a while since Atsil had been able to take a break from, well, setting up a new government for her people. The prince’s invitation was a nice distraction, hopefully she could further strengthen the ties between Zoran and Saint Mark.
When was the last time I actually took a break? I guess the day my father told me to have the day off when that foreign dignitary met with them…it seems so long ago yet it has only been two years since then…
She shook her head as she put her hair up into a bun, dismissing the sad memory of her father from her head. Now was not the time for sorrow and gloom, it was a time to celebrate with a friend. She was surprised to receive the invitation to dine with the prince but I guess being accepted as the host of the Rugby World Cup is a major step in Zoran’s recovery that deserved some celebration. As she looked at herself in the mirror she sighed as she noticed the bags under her eyes,
“Don’t think about work, Atsil, tonight is a night with a friend. That is all it is and nothing more. Don’t make it diplomatic, political, or anything remotely work related.”
After giving herself a pep talk, she exited her room and descended the staircase, dressed in a dark blue gown, to meet with the prince.
Marcarius felt his heart skip a beat. The queen was beautiful, yes, but also intelligent and devoted to her people. He hoped that in time she could see him as more than just a friend. She looked tired, though. Rebuilding her nation has been a heavy burden for her. Tonight, she needed a friend and relaxation. This was not the occasion to bother her with anything else.
“Astil, it is so good to see you again,” said the prince as he smiled and briefly held her hand.
“I’m glad we could have this time to enjoy ourselves before the tournament.”“Yes it is, apparently Saint Mark will be the first team the Zoranian Sun Hawks face.” she said with a smile. A guard escorted them to the dining room where they took their seats.
“How have things in Saint Mark been?”“We have been well, Astil. I’m looking forward to the tournament. The poor Lions have to play your Hawks so early. Two years ago we didn’t even have a national team.They didn’t do too badly last year, though.How have you been? Have you been taking any time for yourself? You’ve been under such a heavy burden for so long.”
Atsil lets out a sigh at the question,
“I have been fairly busy, creating a government for your country is difficult. I haven’t really had much free time since I was wrapped up in the Civil War. But I thankfully have my ministers and technocrats to take on some of the burdens of ruling.” Atsil took a sip of the water that had been poured out for them, she has avoided drinking alcohol in order to avoid the risk of dependence from the stress of her position.“Any help either Zoran needs from Saint Mark or you need from me, please do not hesitate to ask. Our nations have a long shared history and many current common interests as well.” The prince sipped the old Zoranian vintage that had been poured for him by the attentive footman. Seeking to take her mind off her troubles, he sought to change the topic. “Before the exhibition opens to the public, I will be hosting a small private showing of a rare collection of Masters at my palace in Sanctus Leo. I would be delighted if you would attend.”
“I wish you could help with this but this is something we need to do on our own unfortunately. As for the collection I am not sure if I can, the country needs me to be pretty hands on at the moment, I still need to develop the bureaucracy and social infrastructure needed to implement a parliament and elections. But I thank you for the offer.”
“You need to refresh your strength once in a while, if you are to be at your best. Don’t say no just yet. Let’s see how things go. In the meantime, let’s enjoy this fabulous dinner tonight and the games tomorrow.” He smiled and lifted his glass to the admirable queen, his friend.
She smiled back at him and did the same,
“While I cannot say that I will be able to enjoy the entirety of the games, I am glad to be able to dine with a friend.” that was when an soldier wearing a raspberry colored beret entered the room and bowed to Atsil and Prince Marcarius,“Sorry for interrupting, Your Majesty, I know you requested you remained undisturbed but I have news that you may like to hear about the condition of CGZ, just got them from the SIC and the contingent of the Raspberry Berets you tasked with discovering this intel.” Atsil frowned a bit as her memory of the day CGZ was taken away played in her head,
“Thank you, Major General, leave the report on my desk. You are dismissed.”
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Saint Markan Royal Rugby Team (Lions)
Style +1.50
Coach - Sir Evan Rahl
Injure my players: no
Assign my players yellow cards: yes
Assign my players red cards: no
Godmod injuries: no
Godmod scoring: yes
Godmod other events: yes- Min-Su, Zoran, United Adaikes and 2 others
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5
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Saint Mark will enjoy an opportunity to visit some of its friends.
- United Adaikes and Zoran
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2
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I love your Factbook!
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We can leave it as former del. On the Forum, it doesn't really matter.
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Cheers from Saint Mark!
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"Well, Paul, it was a good showing ... not what we had hoped, of course, but respectable. I just wish we had been able to pull off one more Gold."
"You personally did much better than last year, sir, but I know what you mean ..."
Clarkson filled their drinks from an antique crystal decanter.
"Maybe we'll make a big push for next year ... recruit athletes in more fields, work hard all year ... maybe even attempt to host ... we'll see. I know it's not that important in the grand scheme, but ..."
"I know," smiled Paul. "Here's to letting things bother us unnecessarily."
The Prince laughed. "Yes, to needless angst and to next year!"
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"Nice work with the foil yesterday, Paul!"
"Thank you, sir. I'm pleased that I was on the top of my game when it mattered the most."
"Your first round against Hadjivanor was close at first, but you really warmed up and had a great finish. Your match against Cook was even better. I hope this trend continues and you can bring home Gold again when you face Pham."
"It's too bad you weren't able to defeat Pham yourself, sir. I think you performed quite well. You just couldn't catch a break in the scoring."
"No, Pham was better yesterday, Paul. I wasn't at my best. My best would have won, though, and that's the frustrating part. Oh well. It's water under the bridge. It's up to you now, Paul. I believe you're Saint Mark's last chance for one more Gold in this Esferiad."
"I'll do my best."
"I know you will. Best of luck to you!"
- Orandia, Arifiyyah and United Adaikes
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3
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Fencing with Foils
This week will see the Esferiad Fencing competition with the foil. Earler, we discussed some of the important points about fencing in general. Let's go into the details of fencing with a foil.
What is a foil? Well in fencing, a foil is one of the three swords we use (see our previous article).The foil itself has a rectangular shaped steel blade as opposed to the epee’s triangular silhouette. The blade, like all other blades in fencing, is extremely flexible in order to prevent harming your opponent, or the blade.
The maximum length of the blade is 90cm. With the tip of the blade covered by an electric button, and a pommel at the bottom, the maximum blade for the entire sword in itself is 110cm.
Where the blade meets the handle there is a guard, meant to protect the hand from the opposing sword. The guard on the foil is a lot flatter than the epee, but still circular. It’s like a small dome surrounding the hand.The handle of the blade can be either a classic french grip or pistol grip. The french grip is a grip shaped like the grip on a hammer, but it’s not held like a hammer. This grip is more classical, however a lot of fencers prefer the pistol grip (named for its resemblance to a pistol).
On electric swords, the tip of the blade is covered by a button, connected through the blade and into a socket in the hand guard. This socket is connected to a wire that runs through the fencer’s clothing, and to a light or a buzzer, which is activated when the button is touched.
On non-electric swords, which are used for practice, there’s no electricity, or button. Just a plane rubber tip, covering the point of the blade.
With a high demand for accuracy and good form, foil fencing is about as classy as fencing could get. And with a need for good form, there also comes a need for knowledge of the rules. As complex as they may be.In addition to the normal rules in fencing, foil has its own specifications to certain parts of the rule book.
The goal in any fencing match is to touch your sword to your opponent’s target area. In foil fencing, the goal is to thrust the tip of your sword directly onto your opponent’s target area, which includes the torso, back, abdomen and crotch.
To win, a player must get 15 points, or have the most points after 3 rounds. However, if the final bout ends in a tie, a priority minute is set.The priority minute is a one minute bout, where one fencer is given “priority” by the judges. This “priority” determines which fencer wins the bout, if neither player scores a point within the minute.
In foil, as well as sabre fencing, there is a rule implemented called “right of way”, or “priority. A lot of people are confused by this rule, but it’s not as complex as most people make it out to be.In order to understand this rule, we need to figure out what it’s for. The right of way was made to enforce aggressive fencing, with good form, from each fencer.
During a fencing bout, the fencer who is playing more aggressively, or with better form, is given the right of way.
The player with the right of way, is given a point if both fencers make a touch simultaneously. Simple as that.
However, the right of way can be taken if the defensive fencer successfully parries an attack, But will be given back to the other fencer, if they don’t follow up with an attack. This is what makes the parry and riposte so important.
This rule does not exist in epee, because if each player touches at the same time, they both get a point.
Let's discuss one of the moves often utitilzed by Saint Mark fencing, and perfected by Prince Marcarius.
His Serene Highness' fléche has three steps to it. Firstly, he starts by pointing his blade up so that his opponent’s blade is also up (in case it isn’t already there). The point of doing this is to uncover his opponent’s bottom target. Secondly, he feints on the bottom target by moving his entire forearm downward (moving his entire forearm is critical because that’s what makes the feint visible to the opponent). In other words, making his move look very apparent is key because that’s what makes his opponent fall for his feint. Thirdly, he finishes on sixth (or up), which is the line he uncovered in the first two steps. When done right, these three steps can make his indirect flèche unstoppable.
Credit: adapted from https://fencingprodigy.com/what-is-a-foil/
- Arifiyyah, Giovanniland, Fujai and 3 others
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6
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"Another Silver, sir!" Clarkson beamed.
"Yes, and it was a lot of fun competing, Clarkson," answered Prince Marcarius with a smile. "I only wish Saint Mark had been doing better this Esferiad. Only one Gold so far is a little disappointing ... especially when several of our top competitors are bested by contestants who hadn't shown the skill to do so in the past. It has been a few months since some of them have competed, though. I know they couldn't have been working harder than our athletes in the meantime, but perhaps they have just hit upon the right strategies. Chance and the Fates, Luck if you will ... all of that comes into play. No matter, though. We still have a team of which I am quite proud."
"Quite so, sir."
"What do you think about Standish's suggestion to invite all of the Esferiad competitors to the Gala this year?"
"Well, it seems to me that that would be a bit unfair to Saint Mark's own athletes, sir. They should be able to enjoy one night focused on our appreciation of their contributions without sharing the lime light as it were."
"That was my thought too, Clarkson. It would raise more money, but the event has a two-fold purpose, and we must not lose sight of that. Perhaps we'll develop a different opportunity to socialize with the other nations' teams."
"Yes, sir."
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Is Fencing Like Sword Fighting?
The 5 Main Differences Between Sword Fighting and Fencing:
The Reach of the Definition
The Importance of Technique
The Weapons
The Clothing
The Rules1. The Reach of the Definition
A sword fight is an act of combat where the opponents use swords to attack and defend.Fencing, on the other hand, comes from the word defense. It is the art of defending yourself using a weapon.
Emphasis is put first and foremost on keeping yourself from getting hit at all. Unlike sword fighting, fencing doesn’t have to be done with swords. Any weapon can be used in the art of defense.
2. The Importance of Technique
Sword fighting is much less worried about skill or technique. The most important thing about sword fighting is to take out an opponent as quickly as possible.You aren’t as concerned about where your feet are, as long as you’re swinging your weapon in the right direction.
Fencing is all about skill and technique. There is a lot of work that goes into the sport of fencing, and it takes a lot of training to become efficient at it.
Fencing is much more delicate than sword fighting and showcases the use of footwork and subtle movements.
3. The Weapons
While the three weapons used in fencing today were derived from historical swords, they no longer resemble their predecessors very closely. The swords used in fencing competition are unique to the sport, and each is made for a certain purpose.There are three disciplines of fencing: foil, épée and sabre. According to historical records, the foil started from military training, the épée was developed from swordsmanship duels, and the sabre can be traced back to the cavalry.
Each discipline has its own specific targets and rules, as well as different competitive characteristics:
● Foil
The foil, which weighs about 500g, is the lightest among the three weapons, and the weapon of choice for most beginners. A foil fencer scores only by hitting the opponent's torso with the blade tip. As the foil is lighter and has fewer targets than both épée and sabre, it demands better techniques and strategies.
● Épée
The major difference between foil and épée is that the épée is heavier and has a larger target area. The fencer scores a touché when the weapon tip or blade touches the opponent's head, limbs or torso.
In competitions, only stabs, not slashes, are allowed. Defence is essential – as the whole body is a valid target area, fencers need to be highly skilled to fend off their opponents' attacks. As the fencers shift back-and-forth between attack and defence, the épée match has the slowest pace among the three disciplines.
● Sabre
The sabre is also known as the soldier's sword. In competitions, you can thrust and cut your opponent, and the target area is everywhere above the waist (including the head and armpits).
As the sabre discipline has a large range of movements, and demands quick and strong attacks, the fencers' footwork and responses to strategy changes are key to winning.
Sword fighting makes use of training and actual swords that replicate the swords used in the past. They are more representative of what would have been used by men on the field of battle. There’s not a need for specialized weaponry.
4. The Clothing
Sword fighting has no guidelines on what you should wear when sword fighting. There may be costumes worn if sword fighting is taking place in a reenactment setting.It’s possible to engage in a sword fight whatever the occasion. Hopefully, proper safety precautions are always taken.
In fencing, there is a very strict uniform that must be adhered to, especially in competition. The fencing uniform is widely recognized and features a jacket, mask, glove, and other components that help keep the fencer safe.
5. The Rules
A fencing bout is regulated and restricted by a set of rules everyone must abide by. These rules include things like who has the right-of-way and a certain area the fencers must stay inside (see also above). Because it is a sport, these rules must be followed to ensure fairness.Sword fighting is much less restricted. As a general pastime, sword fighting can be done in different ways.
This educational article is brought to you by The Royal Saint Mark Esferiad CommitteeCredit: This article based of information from https://bestsportslounge.com/fencing-sword-fighting and https://news.yahoo.com/olympic-fencing-differences-foil-epee-sabre-065011378.html
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Focus on Fencing
His Serene Highness, Prince Marcarius (left, in the air) and Kyle Hadjiivanov in the Quaterfinals
HSH, Marcarius, has shown marked improvement since last year's Esferiad, defeating both of his opponents in the Epee Individuals. He has become a master of the flèche, using his speed to surprise his opponent more often than not.
In a flèche, a fencer transfers their weight onto their front foot and starts to extend the arm. The rear leg initiates the attack, but the ball of the leading foot provides the explosive impulse that is needed to drive the fencer toward the opponent. Continuing to bring the weapon, arm, and front shoulder forward, the fencer picks up their back foot, crossing their front leg, and landing it in front of the other foot - as if taking an exaggerated walking stride. It is at this point, when the back foot lands and just after that arm has become fully extended, that the hit should be made.
After attempting the hit, the fencer continues to move forward, running past their opponent, to avoid the riposte if he or she was parried, or a counterattack. If the fencer moves past as quickly as possible, the opponent generally only has one chance to hit the fleching fencer as they pass.
Some fencers appear to be merely charging down the piste at an opponent at distance, but the flèche utilizes timing, not distance, and HSH has superb timing.
We anticipate some exciting fencing to come!
- Orandia, Aelitia, United Adaikes and 1 other
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4
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"Congratulations on your Equestrian Team Silver, sir," Clarkson said while pouring the prince a brandy.
"Thank you, Clarkson. I guess I shouldn't be so down on myself for this year's Esferiad. Although we had several more Golds last year, we did earn more medals overall ... and there are still a couple of opportunities. I'm also glad that we were able to connect with a few of the other leaders. I'm excited about the Sultan's electric train proposal. This should be a boon to trade and tourism on Aura."
"Quite so, sir. Did you want me to invite the athletes' families to the Saint Mark Team Gala as you did last year, sir?"
"Yes, of course. They deserve the time to receive their nation's lauds and if it raises even half of what it did for the Special Esferiad as it did last year, it'll be wonderful."
"Quite so, sir."
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"What!? Zombies!!!???"
The prince woke from his nightmare in a sweat. It had been an odd Esferiad and the stress was showing.
- Arifiyyah, iOctagon, embubbleblue and 1 other
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4
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Sir Maxwell put his phone in his jacket pocket and leaned toward Prince Marcarius, speaking in a low voice.
"Sir, Her Royal Highness, Tamara, Princess of Cambria has passed in the night."
Shocked showed clearly on the prince's face.
"Good God, that that's terrible!" he replied in a hoarse whisper. "We must make our excuses and return to our suite. It would be inappropriate to continue enjoying ourselves right now. Please send my condolences to the Cambrian royal family. Once you learn the details of the services, if they are open to the public, please make my arrangements to attend."
"Of course, sir."
The prince excused himself politely, thanked his host for a lovely evening, and made his way to his waiting limosine.
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Prince Marcarius was pleased to see King James of Larxia after he had finished his discussion of archery, wines, and a new trans-Auran electric railway with Sultan Arif.
He reassured him that the Larxian announcer's behavior was inconsequential (in fact Sir Maxwell had to inform the prince as to what King James was referring).
"Saint Mark would certainly be interested in trade and scientific cooperation with Larxia, Bubble, and others, James. Thank you for including us. I will bring the proposals to my advisors. Perhaps you would ike to be my guest in Saint Mark later this year?"
The conversation continued pleasantly, more focused on the week's events and common interests.
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"Sir Maxwell Standish, Personal Secretary to His Serene Highness Marcarius, Prince of The Holy Principality of Saint Mark, accompaning His Serene Highness," he stated briskly, but politely, to the guard at the Duchy door. The Prince at his side nodded and smiled to the guard as he let them through.
The Duchy Estate was lovely, and the Prince admired the antiques and mosaics as they passed into the main hall and greeted the Mpitarika.
"This is a beautiful estate. Thank you so much for your kind invitation. Blue Bubble is really doing remakably in this Esferiad! You must be so proud."
Several of the Heads of State and important guests had already arrived, including His Majesty the Sultan of Arifiyyah and his beautiful wife, Queen Isabella. He walked over to them and held out his hand.
"Arif and Isabella! So good to see you again! I had hoped that we would have a chance to get together again. I am grateful to our host for providing this opportunity. Congratulations on the fine performance by your basketball team! I trust your time here has been as pleasant as mine so far?"
A footman discreetly offered champagne from a silver tray which the Prince accepted and his Secretary declined.
"Ah! A charming Giovannian vintage! Very nice," noted the Prince. "To further victories!" he toasted, smiling toward his royal friends.
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Clarkson cleared the tea things as the prince read the sheaf of papers at his desk.
"Well, we have three more medals, Clarkson," the prince stated without looking up.
"Yes, sir. Congratulations on your Bronze in Dressage."
"Thank you, Clarkson!" The prince looked up and grinned broadly. " I'm quite pleased to be an Esferic medalist! I'm even more pleased that our team is doing fairly well. I wish we had more than Paul's Gold, but there are still more opportunities. Amelia would have earned Gold almost certainly if it hadn't been for her blasted appendix. Thank God she came out of that well. Do you know that girl is still pushing ahead with the next event! Her doctors say it's alright. Her parents wish she would drop out, of course. Brave young lady that."
"Yes, sir. She is quite remarkable. Did you see the invitation from Kassakira Petrovikan, Mpitarika of Blue Bubble, among your papers?"
"Yes. It sounds like a good opportunity to meet several of my neighboring leaders, and the Duchy is supposed to be lovely. Please send my acceptance."
"Very good, sir."
- United Adaikes, Clarkov, Arifiyyah and 1 other
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4
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"Wow, Amelia! Your fans sure do care for you!" said Prince Marcarius as he looked at the room full of bouquets.
"Yes, sir," answered Amelia with a small frown. "At least even more of them did donate to the hospital."
"They just want to cheer you up, dear," said Amelia's mother as she smoothed the sheet covering her daughter's legs.
"Yeah, Mia. Be happy you're so loved," said Conrad Sessions as he smiled and moved a cactus to make room for a spot for him to sit on the windowsill. "You gave everyone quite a jolt when you fell so gracefully from the board."
"One of the most graceful falls I've ever seen," joked Matthew Archer.
Her teammates tried to cover their concern and show their relief by their gentle ribbing.
"The quick response of the emergency team and the excellent work of the doctors here saved your life you know, Mia. Next time listen to your own body and the advice of your trainer." Her father frowned and held her hand.
"Dad, I know. It was foolish of me to push myself that far, but I just thought it was gas ... not my stupid appendix!"
"I'll leave you to your family and friends, Amelia," said the prince as he opened the door. "Praise God that you are out of danger. Saint Mark is awed by your strength and courage."
"Thank you, sir," smiled Amelia.
After the door closed, Amelia turned to her father. "The doctors said I can still compete, dad, and that's what I'm going to do."
Her father's face turned red and her mother stood.
Conrad and Matthew looked at each other and excused themselves from the coming family "discussion." "Rest up, Mia! Glad you're better!" They called as they hurried out the door.
- United Adaikes, Arifiyyah, Orandia and 1 other
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4
3rd Rugby World Cup [rosters, roleplays, results]
in Roleplay - How the West Was Won
Posted
The coach thought that they were enjoying the sights, but after a nap after brunch, the team had secretly gathered in the room shared by Michael Hawk and Nelson Saint Mark to review strategy tapes.
All eyes were fixed on the screen ...
Get defenders off balance and less effective by making them commit to one tackling line while attacking another. You can do this by varying your angle of attack.
A tackler is at their strongest when they are “on square” – front-on to the defender and able to exert maximum force in contact. For this reason, you should find ways to drag a defender or a line of defenders “off square”. As soon as a defender begins to favour one side of his body and turn either out or in, he creates a vulnerable shoulder to attack.
The best teams use a combination of “overs” (running away from the pass) and “unders” (running towards the pass) lines to get their opponents to commit one way or the other.
THE DOUBLE UNDERS DECOY LINE
The first objective is to prevent the 12 from moving too far across field towards the point of attack. The unders angles from the attacking backline forces the 12 to stop and square up on them. It is likely that the defending 12 and 13 will be disconnected. The gap has been created.
THE OVERS ATTACKING LINE FROM THE WINGER
If both of your centres are running this line, your winger can arrive through the gap.
THE EXPLOITATION
With the opposition 13 now disconnected from 12, the blindside winger has a chance to inside or outside the 13.
adapted from The Rugby Coach Weekly