Cruz y Estoc School

Country of Origin: Castille

Description: The exciting, dancing style of the Cruz y Estoc school of swordsmanship has its roots in the corrida of Castille, and the extravagant castanet or fan dances of the siesta. Students of the school even use a set of castanets, or a fan, in their off-hand when dueling.

The only swordsmen more flippant than students of Valroux, Cruz y Estoc students often prefer their duels to be public affairs, with crowds of eager spectators, and accompanying guitarristas. Due to this use of the castanets or fan, the school is extremely popular among female Castillians, but precious few male Castillians study it, despite the fact that membership is not restricted by gender.

The Cruz y Estoc school can be quite intimidating to swordsmen unused to its swift, energetic dancing, the staccato noise the off-hand castanets can produce, or the swirl of color from an off-hand fan. Even more unsettling is the public spectacle that Cruz students often prefer.

The greatest flaw of the Cruz y Estoc lies within the same flamboyance and pride that often intimidates opponents. Cruz y Estoc students are showmen first and foremost, often taking unnecessary risks to make a fight more entertaining, even if it means creating an opening an opponent can take advantage of. In addition, canny swordsmen will attack a Cruz student with swift brutality, taking them by surprise.

Basic Curriculum: Fencing, Performer

Swordsman Knacks: Feint (Fencing), Lunge (Fencing), Tagging (Fencing), Exploit Weakness (Cruz y Estoc)

Apprentice: Cruz y Estoc students are taught to vara, or attack an opponent's weaker areas so as to drain his strength. A vara is made with a simple attack at a +10 TN. If successful, the attack only does a single Flesh Wound, but drops the opponent's highest Action Die.

Journeyman: A Journeyman can add half her Dancing knack (rounded down) to her Footwork for Passive Defense purposes. Thus, a Journeyman with a 4 Footwork and 3 Dancing could have a Passive Defense of 30 under normal circumstances.

Master: A master of Cruz y Estoc can use her Reputation Dice as Drama Dice during a duel.

Antonio Benitez Rovira, one of Castille's most famed matadores, and skilled Swordsmen, is also known for taking Maria Sanchez de la Cruz, a famed matador in her own right, under his tutelage. Maria earned great adulation and fame for her daring bullfights at the corrida, dancing around the bulls armed with an estoc (rapier), but no muleta (cloak). Devoutly religious, Maria always insisted that her profession was chosen by Theus, for why else would she be given such talents? After departing from her mentor, Rovira, Maria established a series of schools on the eastern shores of La Boca, training swordsmen in a combination of theology, swordplay, and dance. Although the critics of Cruz's schools considered their teachings to be bordering on the heretical, or to be little more than glorified dance schools, the Cruz y Estoc school gained in popularity, due to its entertaining and extravagant showmanship.

Rivalry has always been strong between the Aldana and Cruz y Estoc schools, although recently this rivalry intensified following the circulation of a slanderous rumor that states that Aldana is nothing more than a diminutive derivation of Cruz y Estoc.

Last updated: April 1, 2004
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