The Art of Combat by Nalaonar Zanyl'thirr

%^RESET%^%^RED%^A thick and well-worn tome%^RESET%^

%^RESET%^%^ORANGE%^This thick tome doesn't seem to be particularly old, though it has seen a great deal of use, judging by the scratched leather of the cover and the pages' worn corners.  A heavy, precise hand letters the pages, in fairly large script, making it very easy to read.%^RESET%^


%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Bautha Z'hin%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^The bautha z'hin style, which means "dodge and walk," relies on natural agility and light armor. Foes should be surrounded and attacked from all sides, which can be particularly effective against unfamiliar targets, or those with speed and a long reach. The style emphasizes dodging blows and high maneuverability, and practitioners of this style often learn the early elements of the orb alur style, bragging that they never are touched in a fight. Warriors of this style are usually paired with those using the z'ress a'thalak style, especially since the latter act as an anchor and the former position themselves to flank the enemy. This style is favored by those who favor speed over force.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Draa Velve%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^Only a few in each city practice the draa velve style, as the natural aptitude needed for this style is very rare. The name means "two sword," and it involves an amazing balance of control between the two hands. Followers of this style fight with a weapon in each hand and use one of the weapons to parry as well as attack, which means the parrying weapon also acts much like a shield. Some who lack perfect balance in both hands study the basics of this style, hoping to eventually master it through intense training or magic.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Jivvin Golhyrr%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^Similar in some ways to the kyorlin plynn style, the jivvin golhyrr style is a defensive style that relies on weaknesses in the enemy's performance to cause them to stumble and fall, making them more vulnerable to later attacks and emulating a position of weakness. The name means "amusing trick" and comes from the idea of placing another in the humiliating position of a slave or other subservient being. Very skilled warriors of this skill are able to humble their enemies before making the killing stroke, and clerics of Lolth are fond of this style for that reason. Students of the jivvin golhyrr often study the kyorlin plynn, and vice versa.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Kyone Veldrin%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^All dark elves have the ability to create darkness as a spell-like ability, and while all of them learn how to use it to surprise, annoy, and separate foes, few of them study the style kyone veldrin, which means "alert in the shadows." Students of this style can pinpoint the location of enemies in the middle of absolute darkness and strike them with amazing accuracy despite their effective blindness. Normally, groups of specialists from this style and the luth alur style group together to form special attack teams, with the kyone veldrin fighting within the globes of darkness and the luth alur felling any enemies that leave the darkness.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Kyorlin Plynn%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^Conservative warriors, and those who either need to capture opponents alive (usually for interrogation) or just enjoy humiliating their opponents use the kyorlin plynn style, which means "watch and take." The style employs defensive tactics and efficient methods of disarming to delay opponents and negate their ability to fight effectively. Many drow fighting groups have at least one kyorlin plynn practitioner on hand to deal with the most powerful member of an enemy team; that drow keeps the tough opponent busy until his allies have dealt with the rest of the enemy forces and can then team up to defeat the difficult opponent. Many priestesses of Lolth learn this style in order to capture foes for torture and sacrifice.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Luth Alur%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^Given the drow inclination to finesse rather than brute strength, many prefer to stay out of immediate danger when there is fighting. The luth alur style, which means "superior shooting," is ideal since it allows them to strike down foes with deadly accuracy without ever being in harm's way themselves. This style requires a sharp eye and steady hands. The rare drow that use a conventional bow sometimes even learn to fire more rapidly than normal, but since such a trick is very difficult with the standard hand crossbow, such feats are rarely seen. Most dark elf war parties have at least two luth alur warriors, and in full-scale wars there are entire squadrons of warriors using this style. These warriors usually attack enemy forces from ambush.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Orb Alur%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^The orb alur style combines the best elements of bautha z'hin and kyorlin plynn, and it takes a long time to master. Called the "superior spider," the style emphasizes great sweeping maneuvers that allow its practitioners to strike many opponents with minimal effort. Normally they tumble or leap their way into the middle of a group of enemies and (if successful) cut them all down with a single stroke. This has a debilitating effect on enemy morale and often leads to retreats by enemy forces; as such, practitioners of the orb alur style are greatly valued by drow noble houses and receive many privileges.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Phindar Streeaka%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^The phindar streeaka style is not technically a combat style, but more of a mindset when entering combat. It means "mindless recklessness," and is the name that dark elves give to the rare drow berserkers. Because it lacks finesse and exposes the underlying chaos in drow society for all to see, it is an unpopular style. Normally only smaller and more primitive colonies of drow, or those who worship lesser barbaric deities, ever use it. The phindar streeaka cannot use abilities that require intellect over brute force, and so many of them use the techniques common in the z'ress a'thalak style, although to say they study that style is certainly a misnomer.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Sargh'elgg%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^The sargh'elgg style has simple elements but requires extensive training to master. It is used with light weapons or the traditional drow rapier, and it is designed to get the most out of these weapons and the naturally superior dark elf dexterity. The name means "valor in slaying," which is an overly-inflated title created to give some measure of confidence to those whose poor skills leave this as their only choice. Some martially-minded arcanists learn the basics of this style, as do many priests. This is the most common fighting style used by a typical low-rank drow guard.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Ust Sreen%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^The simple combat style called ust sreen, which means "first danger," emphasizes fast reactions to the appearance of enemies. Because vigilance is a constant state in drow society, this is normally a basic series of lessons taught at drow academies and is usually combined with another style, since fast reflexes aren't terribly useful when not backed up by at least some degree of combat prowess. Normally at least one drow trained in this style is present in any scouting group and carries a hand crossbow loaded with sleep poison to eliminate one opponent early, before scout's companions can react.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Z'har Thalack%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^The z'har thalack style, which means "riding war," was developed for mounted dark elf patrols, and deals with the difficulties and opportunities of fighting while mounted. As drow normally ride wall-crawling lizards, special tricks available to those who can maneuver in a three-dimensional manner through the Underdark put the mounted soldiers at an advantage compared to grounded troops. Extended-reach weaponry such as polearms and lances make this style particularly lethal, affording no means for the opponent to gain enough range to strike.%^RESET%^

%^BOLD%^%^RED%^Z'ress A'thalak%^RESET%^
%^BOLD%^%^WHITE%^The z'ress a'thalak style, which means "force of war," is uncommon among dark elves because few have the physical strength needed to learn all of the necessary maneuvers. Students of this style sacrifice accuracy for power and learn how to cut through the body of a falling foe to strike another enemy, or even shatter enemy weapons with a single blow. The deceased captain Elaug'orvir of house Zanyl'thirr, who led the victorious surface incursion of 678SG, was a practitioner of this style. Drow that fight this way normally prefer heavier weapons such as longswords, hammers, and axes to the lighter weapons favored by most drow. Devout worshipers of Selvetarm commonly use this style.%^RESET%^