3. [Order of the Second Shadow] The Public Face

[Order of the Second Shadow] The Public Face

  • V

    Tsu Ma accepts the remains with an oddly soft smile, holding the candle almost reverently and with the same unusually serene expression sets the candle on a nearby table. He nods in acknowledgement to Sara, his grey eyes warm, but not speaking a word either.


  • A couple of weeks later, the swordswoman known to most as Sara, stands before Tsu Ma and bows, palms together, her eyes locked on his. She regards him a moment, then pulls the remains of a thick green candle from her belt pouch and passes it to him with the faintest of nods. She makes no comment, and asks no questions, but with a thoughtful look returns to the back of the class where she is accustomed to sitting.

  • V

    Lesson: Candles
    _Only recently having been added to the things taught, this strange lesson which occurs roughly once a month. Tsu Ma will arrive for it with candles in his arms, no two of which even remotely resemble each other. His arms are usually overflowing with the different candles and he'll spread them seemingly randomly, each and everyone who's there will receive one. Most commonly he himself will take a shorter candle, sometimes one that's barely a stub.

    There's few candles that really look fresh, most appear to have been used and are in different conditions. Some are large or thick, others formerly long and thin and show many lines of formerly molten wax running down the sides, a few are even broken or almost so. Tsu Ma just grins his amused smile to any complaints he hears about the candles.

    Once everyone has settled down and got properly acquainted with the candles, he'll sit down in front of the listeners and light the candle he kept for himself._ "Candles are what we talk about today.

    "They bring light. But by doing so, they are consumed." For a while, he pauses there, just breathing in deeply and concentrated, looking to everyone present in turn. He waits until most have calmed down and joined in the meditative breathing. Only then he'll continue slightly more softly: "Much like life. Once a part is burned, it is gone.

    "I want all of you, to take your candles and keep them with you. And over the coming weeks, burn them. Slowly. Or quickly. But memorize every moment that you light your candle for. Or memorize important moments you light your candle for. Or meditate by the light of the candle. I'm sure you can think of some fitting use for your candle."

    For a long while he pauses again, his breathing regular and deep. He looks in turn to everyone, trying to reassure the various looks he receives, while he waits for his own little candle stub to burn down to barely more than a thin layer of wax. Then he'll put it out and scrubs it off the ground. That done, he lifts his grey eyes up to gaze over the listeners again. "Once your candle has burnt down this far, I'd like you to give it back.

    "And I'd like you to look at me while you do that." He gives a little wink, the familiar, faintly amused grin settling on his face again. "Now, I'm sure you all have lots of questions. Go ahead. Ask them."

    ((Feel free to actually post questions here! Feel also free to interact with posted questions! Lots of monks around lately, let's get some monk rp done!))

  • V

    ((Yes, Tsu Ma is currently absent, but the lessons never were supposed to be ordered chronological, so I'm taking the liberty to add more…))

    Lesson: Using Tools
    One of the more prominent lessons seem to revolve around a big selection of weapons. They're all displayed nearby, swords of various sizes, axes, even a scythe and kama lie piled up on a table. Some of them are shining brightly, almost glittering, while some of the things, like a spade, look dirty and used.

    Tsu Ma will more often than not first wander along the displayed things, examining them thoroughly, waiting for the attendants to even get a bit restless, maybe a murmur starting. He'll turn then and face the visitors, his eyes hard set on a person who was particularly articulate.

    "Quite the choices, eh? Some of those things are great te bash someone's head in. Others te slice them open in cruel an' efficient ways. I guess quite a few came here wantin' te learn on how te fight. An' I figure most of ye can tell the two ends of a sword apart.

    "But tha' not all there is te fightin', eh? Let's make a little question to ye out of it. Whacha think is the best weapon here?"

    Tsu Ma's grey eyes will scan over the attendants and select each in turn, letting each provide a guess on what the best weapon is and the reasons for it. He'll nod to good suggestions, like axes to use against zombies, or clubs and warhammers well suited to crush skeletons. But he also nods approval to other suggestions, like spades or scythes being good weapons for their easy availability. Should someone point out that he'd himself be the best weapon, he'd give a raspy chuckle and continue just like he does as if he had queried all present.

    "Yah. Yer all mostly right. But wha's in a weapon truly? Wha's its essence? Its spirit? Its ki? A weapon's designed to maim, mutilate or slay. But even most magic weapon don' jump people. It's always someone who draws it. Wields it. Uses it."

    Sometimes Tsu Ma will stop for a while here and ask if someone wants to try to use a real weapon against him. If someone is willing to do so, he'll try his best to be inside their guard with blinding speed, grappling and pinning them to the ground as fast as possible.

    "The weapons you see there, they're all tools. The real weapon is you, and yer mind. If ye made yer decision to kill, tha's already half the slayin done. Not one of those tools replaces all others entirely. In the end it's yer trainin' tha' makes a difference.

    "Just consider fer a moment. If ye wanna dig a hole, whacha gonna use? Certainly not a club. Ye'd probably pick the spade. Ye wanna cut down grass, ye'll grab the scythe most like.

    "They're all tools. Yer the one who'll use them. And yer the one who'll have te pick the right one. Ye can't always carry all of 'em wit ye. Tha's the problem. Ye usually have te make yer best bet on wha' te use.

    "Ye want te learn to be ready? Ye need te be aware of wha' tool is right. Sometimes it's just a cold, calm look. Sometimes it's a heavily garlic scented breath attack. Sometimes it's a spade te the neck. And sometimes, it's the fist in the face.

    "It's yer decision. It better be the right one."


  • With Tsu Ma away the silent swordswoman known as Sara continues to give lessons in using swords to any that attend and to take instruction from any who feel able in fighting unarmed.

  • V

    Lesson: The Monkish Way of Life
    _There's a special type of session, or lesson, that happens only very rarely. It's easily recognizable because Tsu Ma will appear to it with a long, white beard badly attached to his chin. If someone asked him about it, he'd just grin a little and nod, maybe commenting what a good question it was. He also wears a badly patched robe, then, each patch a different color which gives maybe the impression of someone painting a parrot who has never seen one, just heard stories about the colourfulness of those birds.

    Unconcerned by such observations, Tsu Ma announces his intentions, though, loud and clearly:_ "Today, ye'll learn about another aspect of bein' a monk. One I could never quite get te terms wit'. An' the women here'll have a real hard time gettin' it done properly.

    "Yah, ye guessed right. It's about havin' a long beard."

    While he gives the fake beard a twirl, Tsu Ma grins impishly. He tries his best to appear ponderously, but probably not only fails because the beard is absolutely horribly fastened to his ears.

    "I like te compare it to a beard. But in truth, wha' it's about is wisdom. Many confuse wisdom an' knowledge. An' it's nay easy te seperate them. Like a beard, it can itch like hell, or get in the way. Or ye can use it effectively.

    "Bein' a monk. An' claimin' te be one, puts certain expectations te ye.

    "One of 'em might be the ability to say stuff like 'The scholar writes down what happened yesterday, the wise knows today is tomorrow's yesterday.'

    "Ye got any clue wha' I just said?"

    _Tsu Ma points to a random listener and makes him explain that sentence, he'll smile and nod to most answers, as long as it's not a simple repetition.

    For a while he'll go on, giving them random wise words and asking the listeners for the odd explanation and rewording of the sayings. He'll conclude the whole play with a faint grin:_

    "I never got the hang of tha'. An' I see most of ye are already better than me at it. I don' really understan' the need to hide the meanin' instead of just simply sayin' wha' needs te be said.

    "There's just one thin' te remember, one thin' tha' only truly wise sayings can do. They'll give ye the sense of havin' achieved somethin'. Once ye figured them out. It's like growin' a beard. It's a lengthy process, requires lotsa attention, an' care. To get a long, an' nice lookin beard.

    "Just make sure the beard ye grow is the one ye wanna wear. All I can say."

  • V

    Lesson: Deflect Arrows
    One of the most curious lessons, perhaps, happens when Tsu Ma brings a selection of ranged weapons to the Order's main training hall. He leans a spear against the table, and a crossbow and bolts are placed on it. With a faint smile, he then turns to the students and visitors in the hall and studies them for a while. Eventually he'll speak up:

    "I explained a lot about fightin in close quarters, in melee. An' I think that's where ye end up, usually. So if ye wanna learn about shootin yerself, better find an elf. Wha' I'm here te explain today is how ye defend against bein' shot at.

    "Tha's right, yer not goin to become invulnerable te arrows. But ye'll be able to survive a little longer, eh. Ideally, yer so fast and movin around so much ye can dodge the arrow. But tha's gettin right difficult if yer tryin to fight off a stinkin hobgoblin at the same time.

    "Keep tha' in mind, though, the faster ye move, the quicker ye dodge, the better yer chance of not gettin hit. With arrows, darts, or knives. Wit anythin, really.

    "I know a couple of people, though, who ain't gonna be distracted, no matter how fast ye move. An always keep in mind tha an arrow can outpace ye most any day. So, dodgin is good, but it's not always good enough. A well aimed bolt can find ye anyhow."

    At this point, Tsu Ma wanders over to the table and loads the crossbow, carefully fitting a bolt in. He then slowly turns back to the people, and gestures someone up, perhaps Nicahh's young girl. With a serious expression he hands her the crossbow and explains that she should fire it at him. For this he stands quiet, watching the crossbow closely and then reaches out just in the right moment, his hand hitting the bolt in fly, taking its momentum and the bolt harmlessly falling to the ground. Most of the times, anyhow. If the bolt whistles past his hand and even manages to hit him, Tsu Ma will still just grin and rarely sustains a wound at all. He'd calmly tug the bolt out of himself, explaining that he's far off from being perfect, and then ask the girl to fire another bolt at him.

    "The trick there is tha I have to hit the projectile in flight. How can I do that? It's a difficult thin te master. It's easy enough to try. Ye can just wildly slash around yerself, hopin tha ye do hit the thin. Might work.

    "Te truly master it, though, ye need to bring two thins. First and foremost, ye need te be incredibly fast. Ye need to be able to move yer arms as fast an arrow in flight. An secondly, ye need to watch closely. I know I keep repeatin tha, and it's important. Ye wanna live, ye need to know wha's goin on around ye and react te it.

    "Even more so wit a bolt comin at ye. If ye saw it bein fired, and ye got some experience, ye can guess it's flight an' know when it'd hit ye. Tha's the moment after ye should have punched it outta the air.

    "The first thin' ye need to learn is to react incredibly fast. There's no time for thought. There isn't. It's either in ye, te find tha thing, or it ain't. If ye get really good, ye might figure out how to snatch an arrow and send it back. But we ain't goin there.

    "We'll start wit ye lot trainin te hit a spear in flight. It's a bit differen' than hittin an arrow, cause an arrow is really light, ye can beat it with just a slight touch. A spear has more power. It's not as easy te get, but it's slower. And easier te hit."

    Tsu Ma will divide them into pairs again, handing out spears and explain how they should throw spears past each other into the wall. And how the other one should attempt to hit the spear while it flies through the air. Tsu Ma will watch the people quietly, observing their attempts closely and occasionally he'll step in and explain a bit about the wavering flight of a spear, shortly describe the path it takes in the air. He might liken it to the flight of a bird and the dive of a hawk, the one chance of the predator to catch the prey. Or he'd compare it to the whistling of the wind, and finding the perfect note to match it. All depending on who he talks to. He'll keep them at it, until everyone at least managed once to hit a flying spear - even though not necessarily deflecting it.

  • V

    Lesson: Stunning Blow
    Occasionally the quiet and steady rhythm of training sessions pauses to let special training lessons begin. One of the more prominent lessons features a very special, very useful attack. Tsu Ma will usually explain its use like this:

    "So. Yer foe brought a large axe. An' is takin' a swing at ye. The trick is reach there, ye step in close an' tha' axe will be bloody useless. There's ways te counter the spells of a wizard, too. But wha' do ye do when ye face someone who's nimble, fast and armed wit deadly little knives.

    "Often ye meet those an' they're top when it gets down te stabbin' ye - or anythin', really - dead. Ye can outrun 'em, probably. But ye might find they're ace shots wit' a bow, too. An arrow through the heart kills as surely as a knife in the gut."

    An oddly soft smile plays on Tsu Ma's lips as he speaks of this, his hands demonstrating a supposedly precise series of stabs.

    "Anyhow, there's a very effective way te handle even tha'. Maybe ye already know wha' happens if ye are punched real mean on the chest. It's like all air leavin' and for a bit yer outta breath. Stunned, eh? Now, to pull tha' off ye need serious strength, ye might. Or ye know how to hit.

    "Sure, there's certain spots tha' can render a victim utterly unconscious. But tha'd require ye to know yer victim. If yer fightin a human, or an elf, tha might work. But if you run into a giant the spots might be similar, but way outta reach. An' if ye face a spider?

    "No, the basics is always the same. Hit someone real hard like. Punch them wit' such force tha' for a moment they're stunned. Often enough time te get away, or te get tha advantage ye need. But ye figured right, I guess. It ain't always just about physical strength, eh?

    "This special kinda blow requires ye te access wha' some might tell ye is yer innate magic, yer Ki. I ain't gonna tell ye crap like that. My own masters used te tell me it's pain ye have floatin around yer hand, or foot. But tha's just another name.

    "Yer just required te hit them, wit more than yer hand. Wha' the more is, tha's a question nobody can really tell ye. In tha', it's maybe magic. But we ain' wizards here, so yer not goin te be able to call on some stored power an' activate it by a phrase or a sign. Instead, wha' ye'll do is te find a part of yerself and wrap it around yer hands."

    Tsu Ma pauses for a while, his grey eyes sweeping over the attendants. He frowns in thought for a while, searching for words, perhaps, or for something to demonstrate.

    "I don' know wha' it'll be fer yerself. But ye will find it. Whether today, tomorrow, or in weeks te come doesn't matter. Fer now, pair up and start throwin punches at each other, stunnin' punches. Go at it slowly, an' wit' thought."

    Tsu Ma wanders amidst the pairs, watching the attempts with curiosity. Occasionally he'd stop someone and suggest quietly that they should imagine the dark, muddy water around their hand, or another time he'll suggest the bright glare of looking into the sun. Yet another time he might suggest the attendant focus on the stillness of the moment of meditation, or the unnerving silence of the deeper caves. The rare participant will just receive a pat on the back and a conformational nod, if they manage to produce an adequate punch already. Only once he's done inspecting every single person present, Tsu Ma stops them for good and offers a few reassuring words.

  • V

    ((I'd like to point out that the monastery is not in any way related to the temple of Oscura and I assume all mentions of temple above were meant to relate to the Order's own structure. Which well… can't be found IG at all. But it's there! <.<))

    Tsu Ma usually makes no move to treat anyone special, though he does bow uncharacteristically deeply to Nicahh. This friendliness however is not transported to the child who is treated like any other visitor. Like all other participants, the halfling, Nicahh and the girl alike receive instructions on how to deliver punches or kicks and are told to train the same move over and over again. Mostly Tsu Ma will stop them shortly after they pressed past their own limit. And if they stop before they are not merely entirely and utterly exhausted but already beyond exhaustion, he'd be there with a firm grip on their shoulder and calmly suggesting:

    "Keep it up a while longer. In a real fight ye don' pick the end either."


  • once the little hin is ready she steps in and also takes part in the drills and things enjoying it and learning form it


  • Nicahh is seen around the temple participating in activities when she is in town, opting to sleep and spend her time in the temple when not working. With her for the last lesson was a young girl, no older than 11 and dressed in a red and black robe; it is easy to guess where the girl had come from. The serious faced child sat watching the lessons, listening to Tsu Ma, her eyes keen and wearing an expression of one there to absorb as much as possible.


  • *Z, who is amost never seen in the city of Oscura, enters the temple and observes the lessons for quite some time.

    When the training is through, he approaches Tsu Ma and speaks quietly with him…*


    • a hin dressed in mostly gold is seen watching them intently wiht her little eyes stuying the moves but never takeing part, kepng an eye and nodsing to herself every now and then*
  • V

    Lesson: Harbour Stance
    Another thing most visitors witness often when they enter the main hall are the constant training going on. Those who stick around to learn more may watch a scene like the following. More often then not, Tsu Ma will begin a lesson with a short introduction about the importance, though the very basics are rarely explained.

    "Alright, so. Ye end up in a fight. Happens a lot. Mostly ye need te adapt very quickly te whatever ye face at the time. So yer right in askin what the hell ye do learn here tha's useful later. In a real fight te the death.

    "Ye gotta learn te dodge swords, and axes, and clubs. But to do tha', ye need to have a lot of ways to twist the body, to squirm away from the path of a blade. And tha's wha' we train here. Lots of ways ye'll never need in just tha' way. But if ye ever use just one of 'em to dodge a giant's axe, it saved yer bloody life.

    "And ye need a foundation upon which to build. Somethin' like a harbour to come te and then leave again. A safe spot. A quiet moment tha' ye know intimately. An' I'll hope to help ye find yer own harbour."

    As he continues to talk with a concentrated frown, Tsu Ma rises and takes up a position that makes him appear lazily standing on the spot, his balance appearing slightly off as he seems oddly ready to bounce back and forth on his feet while very unwilling to do so. His arms are raised slightly, almost as if he was holding something in front of himself.

    "It's from tha' harbour ye'll start all other moves. It's te that harbour ye'll want to return in the blink of an eye. Especially if it's a spellslinger yer fightin.

    "This is my basic stance. I can start a series of punches from here tha' are aimed almost anywhere near me. An' tha's what ye'll learn. Ye lot go over te the dummies and start punchin away. An' keep turnin' on the spot. Slowly."

    _Tsu Ma gestures the few students and listening visitors over to some combat dummies and watches them follow his instructions, just shrugging at people who show no initiative to join the actual training. But those who punch and kick away at the dummies are observed closely. From time to time, he'll step in and stop one or another and talk quietly with them, either demonstrating something or telling them off for being too close to his own stances.

    For a long while he lets them train and only when he's somewhat satisfied with all the results, Tsu Ma stops them and asks them all to demonstrate what they think is their harbour stance. Walking among them he lets each of them try a punch at an angle that he deems very difficult, often grinning when the trainee trips or curses._

    "A long way te go for all of ye, but yer off te a good start. Keep at it, and maybe one day ye'll manage te survive a real fight."

    ((I have no idea about martial arts, so if someone sees a blatant wrongness, feel free to correct me! Oh, and if your character is interested in joining-in, you're invited to post here!))

  • V

    Tsu Ma walks past the sick man, and holds open the door a moment, gesturing him to come into the main hall. No invitation other than that given. He doesn't wait long, though, before heading in himself.

  • T

    A sick and diseased man is seen wandering about the entrance.

  • V

    Lesson: Meditation
    As one of the first things newcomers to the Order of the Second Shadow are introduced to meditation. The technique taught by Tsu Ma is directly derived from what he learnt from Attentus. None who wish to learn this are turned away, and all present are encouraged to participate in training.

    "If ye wanna learn how to meditate, how to become aware of yer body an' how te get it to do precisely what ye want, ye have to start somewhere. Ye know ye all breath. Mostly ye just don' realize how much ye do tha'.

    "To get a better focus on yer body, ye ought to learn to focus on tha'. Start by tryin' te count yer breaths."

    The sparsely clad Tsu Ma looks around at those few students present and studies them, watching for a while and apparently listening. Quietly he seems to count to ten with his fingers, for those close enough they notice that he counted his own breaths.

    "Not as easy, eh? In an' out. And countin. Anyhow, tha's just the first step. Wha' ye should do now is just find a relaxed way te sit, but not so ye fall asleep or anythin'. Just sit."

    Again the crude voice of Tsu Ma pauses, studying the particpants, waiting for them all to find their preferred place to sit. Waiting for the rustling of clothes or murmuring to die down.

    "Good. Tha'll do. Now, ye focus on yer breathin. Feel free to count, if tha' helps ye. But the goal is to no longer need to even count, eh. So, ye go ahead, breath in… No, not deeply. Just normal. Feel yer chest rise, yah, tha's right. And now out... Let it go, eh. Go ahead, keep doin' that. Quiet now, listen just te yerself, focus on yer own breathing. In. And out... in... and out..."

    Bending his own body, Tsu Ma kneels down amidst the participants on the carpeted floor and seems for a good while to obey his own lecture. His breathing steady and regular, his eyes from time to time sweeping over the other people in the main hall of the Order. Taking note of some of the things they do, but not speaking for a few minutes.

    ((Huge Kudos to Attentus who provided the inspiration for this lessons!

    Again, if your character is interested in attending, feel free to post here!))