Name: Ila'thyr (Unarmed Combat)
Origins and Description
This ancient form of combat was first devised by Ilaren and her very first Thunder Priestesses. Ila'thyr is a brawling style that originated from several miniscule movements that occur naturally while intoxicated. These micro movements were often confusing, and made the practitioners actions and tactics unpredictable in single combat.
Developed primarily for the Brawler branch of the Thunder Priestesses, Ila'thyr is perfectly suited for a priest who is working in foreign territory and who has very few resources at their disposal. It is sometimes referred to as "Dirty Brawling."
Standards and Cultural Differences
Due to the fact that not every Thunder Priestess is of the Brawler branch, there are two variants of Ila'thyr that focus on slightly different aspects of the martial art. Ila'thyr is not often seen in use outside the Thunder Priestess faction so the style has remained rather pure as the arcs have passed. One must travel to Rharne if they wish to be taught in the ways of Ila'thyr. The Rharne Self-Defense Standard is the most commonly viewed form because it is taught to all branches of the Priesthood and the public.
Rharne Self Defense Standard: The Self Defense Standard is focused on utilizing the elbows, forearms, knees, and legs as pivot points to block incoming attacks and wear down the opponents will to attack. More experienced fighters have also learned how to use their elbows, forearms, knees, and legs offensively. This Standard is primarily a non-lethal form learned in order to help the practitioner de-escalate other combatants and escape dangerous situations.
Brawler Standard: The Brawler Standard of Ila'thyr is the purest form of the art. Priests using this standard are not concerned solely with defense. Their goal is to remove opponents from their path as quickly as possible. Practitioners of this standard seek to utterly control the flow of the confrontation.
Notable Techniques
Balance, Improvisation, and Drunken Masters: Often as part of a brawl that occurs outside the controlled environment of a ring, things can get out of hand quickly. And it's this brand of chaos that a codified and trained form of brawling can help prepare the practitioner for. In order to counter the enemy's tricks, one must learn them themselves. As such, improvised weaponry, whether broken bottles, stone mugs, or even chairs as improvised bludgeons become a way of ending a unsanctioned brawl before it gets out of hand.
Feigning drunkenness, or having the wherewithal developed to keep your wits while actually drunk can put off anyone from a fight, with the practitioner as the actions of such an individual might come from odd angles, confusing opponents or setting them easily off balance. These techniques are usually reserved for training at the highest levels of the martial art, and incorporate weapon styles into them, particularly improvised sharps and bludgeons.
Keeping a crowd of rowdy rioters off balance is no easy feat, but those master brawlers who've perfected the drunken approach to fighting learn to ride the tempo of chaotic situation, with awareness, experience, and maybe a bit of luck.
Elbow and Forearm Strikes: There is a strong emphasis on taking advantage of the natural shapes created by manipulating the joints between the elbows and forearms. Usually, defenders will create a triangular shape with their arms and their head, in order to absorb the impact of the blow and defend their torso. Offensively, the force generated by the priests arms and elbows are not as damaging as a fist, but the strikes are not telegraphed from the hips or legs, so they are more difficult to predict and defend against.
Joint Targeting: Similar to the practice of Ki’Enaq, practitioners of Ila'thyr will commonly focus on damaging joints when forced into an extended fight that lasts more than five or so trills. While their methods are less vicious than that of Ki’Enaq, the desired end result is the same. Blocks, kicks, and strikes are used to target and bend joints to the point that the opponent can no longer use them.
Knees and Leg Strikes: A great deal of focus is placed on striking with the legs in Ila'thyr. Because this is a very transitional style of combat, the positioning of the legs is often used to gain an advantage. Pivots and squats are used to change the priests positioning and increase their defense and/or change the opponents positioning to be more susceptible for targeting specific areas of their body.
Restricted to Brawler Standard
Shadow Brawling: The priest moves their arms and legs deceptively, which is often misconstrued as a mimicry of a drunkards movements. This technique takes advantage of fast reaction times and the ability to change one's upright posture to a squatted, hunched over position. The priest is constantly changing the vulnerable areas of their body, by constantly pre-empting where an enemy will attack and initiating blocks as if they were fighting against an invisible opponent. Novice and/or competent fighters move rhythmically in what seems to be a choreographed pattern, while experts and masters use more complicated movements that are more difficult to predict.
Novice: 0-25
Novice fighters are in the process of learning the basic tenants of this style. Their movements are slower and more obviously rehearsed than more skilled combatants. They are still effective at absorbing blows with their arms and legs, but the longer the fight drags on, the easier it is for the opponent to identify and predict the priests choreography. Novices may be able to get a few surprise hits on their opponent but are very unlikely to actually win a fight. A hit n' run is the best option at this skill level.
Competent: 26-75
Competent fighters have a few skirmishes under their belt but are still heavily reliant on their choreographed movements. They are able to successfully include more attacks in their repertoire, but lengthy fights still put them at a disadvantage. These fighters will generally have more losses than wins, but they are able to use their compounded experiences to tweak and improve their choreography and increase the likelihood of winning a fight.
Expert: 76-150
Expert fighters have honed their defenses to where it now feels like it is second nature. The length of a fight is no longer a disadvantageous obstacle. While there may be one or two specific movements that are favored by the fighter and used as a "reset", the rest of their actions are improvised and chain together effectively to confuse and surprise their opponents. At this stage, users of the self-defense standard prefer to avoid conflict unless absolutely necessary because they fear their own power. Users of the brawler standard however, become excited and seek combat as a fun leisure activity to show off their skills.
Master: 151-250
Upon reaching the rank of master, combat has taken on a different meaning. Brawls are no longer viewed as a means for survival. The Self Defense Standard provides confidence to the practitioner to where they do not fear their own power anymore. Instead, the fighter is willing to step in and act as a defender of themselves and their allies regardless of the situation. Practitioners of the Brawler Standard are now able to incorporate movements that defend against enemies with small close-quarter weapons such as daggers and short swords within their Shadow Brawling.
Credit: Oracle, Orik Qe'Ryn, Pig Boy
