In Argille, the search for perfection usually entails pursuit of a single path until its end - but the Stormslinger sees things differently. For the Stormslinger, it is the pairing of paths, the connection between the martial and the arcane. This is not a simple path; nor is it a common one. Most Argillic battlemasters and archmages will tell the aspiring student that perfection in sword, axe or spell leaves no room for dilution - that any admixture will naturally result in a less-than-perfect delivery that can mean only death.
The Stormslinger’s art then is one of perfection for the individual. A crafting of somatic components into martial movements in a way that flows naturally from the Swordslinger’s body; a personalisation that defies rote learning and seeks internal mastery. It bears more in common with the ritual of the ascetic than the discipline of the practised.
An aspiring Stormslinger seeks out masters where they can find them - often a hermit or figure of local legend that uses their remoteness as discouragement for insincere pupils. Once accepted as an apprentice - sometimes an achievement in and of itself - the young Stormslinger learns until the master judges that the apprentice can learn no more.
And then, the fledgling Stormslinger is set loose upon the world.
- Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Arcana
- Languages: Argillic, Old Hak’kon, Uscen
- Equipment: A writing kit (small pouch with a quill, ink, folded parchment, and a small penknife), a set of traveler’s clothes, and a book detailing exercises of the body and mind.
To become an apprentice Stormslinger - let alone to graduate that apprenticeship - requires a dedication to learning that few can match. You have this dedication; what’s more, you’ve honed it into an artform you can call on when required.
- +1 to your Wisdom, Intelligence, Strength or Dexterity scores
- You gain advantage on ability checks made to gain knowledge or insight into something new - for example, a Wisdom (Insight) check to understand something about an NPC, or an Intelligence (Nature) check to understand a new creature’s vulnerabilities by looking at it.
- If you spend time studying an opponent in combat, you can attack them more effectively. As a bonus action during combat, you may “study” a creature. Each time you do so, you gain a +1 to all future attack or damage rolls against that creature. You may take this action a number of times per long rest equal to your Proficiency Bonus.
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