Alvarez School

Pepito Alvarez de Torres was the most infamous sadist in all of western Castille until his untimely death at the hands of Montaigne invaders. He developed a brand of swordplay that enphasized his penchant for torture and cruelty, and found his calling within the ranks of the Inquisition. While he himself never became a Knight Inquisitor, he taught many of their ranks the finer aspects of extracting truth from heratics and their supporters. They have since formalized his teachings, adding the more subtle aspects of an Inquisitor's life to its basic curriculum.

The Alvarez style has no particular insights into attack or defense, and borrows much from the Villanova school for basic swordplay. What it relies upon is the knowledge of the exact location of nerve endings and pressure points, as well as the less scientific aspects of torture-craft, making it a particularly unsavory school, expecially for its victims.

The weakness of the Alvarez style is that it focuses so much upon inflicting paint that it does not pay as much attention to the pragmatics of swordplay as it sometimes should. A focused barrage or careful riposte can take an Alvarez student off guard.

Country of Origin: Castille (this school costs 25 "Hero" Points for members of the Inquisition)

Guild Sanctioned: No. Instead, students gain the Scoundrel advantage.

Basic Curriculum: Fencing, Spy

Swordsman Knacks: Beat (Fencing), Disarm (Fencing), Interrogation, Exploit Weakness (Alvarez) (Note: The Interrogation knack is considered a basic knack to Alvarez swordsmen)

Apprentice: Alvarez students are capable of inflicting small, excruciating wounds during swordplay rather than attempting to slay their opponent. After a successful attack, you may opt to deal one Flesh Wound in order to make an immediate Interrogation roll, and possibly extract crucial information from or break the will of your opponent.

Journeyman: Journeymen learn to make their victims cower from them and beg for mercy. You can increase your Fear Rating by one for the remainder of the scene by making a successful Interrogation roll at TN 30 (the circumstances must be appropriate for making a Torture roll). Every two raises called adds an additional Fear Rating level; if you do not have a Fear Rating, it is now 1.

Master: A master of Alvarez is capable of twisting and digging his blade to drag out as much pain as possible. When dealing damage, you may choose to make two separate damage rolls, each at a -2k1 penalty and requiring its own Brawn check.

Last updated: April 1, 2004
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