Building a setting with Ice Age and Celtic Myth

[Dangerious P. Cats]

Originally Posted by Vaevictis Asmadi

Women's status may well have decreased -- the changeover from nomadism to settled villages, often precipitated by agriculture, certainly increased social inequality in general -- but the depiction of an outright matriarchal past (vaguely mentioned by the OP) isn't realistic.

The entire idea that most humans were matriarchal before something happened to change the whole species is a pseudoscientific crock leftover from the Victorian-era notion of human "cultural evolution." I've never heard of actual archaeological or other scientific evidence that this was actually true of humans. It's perfectly fine for fiction, of course, but it shouldn't be taken seriously as something that happened in the real world.

The theory I read, and consiquently based the setting around, was that when agriculture first occured in Northern Europe it was generally women's work. Agriculutre had grown (pun so totally intended) out of hunter gathering with the gathering being done by women. As agriculture became more important as a food source women became more powerful within society, and religion came to reflect this. This is supposedly the time when the Venus figures occured, supposing a pantheon lead by a mother goddess.

Originally Posted by Vaevictis Asmadi

Any individual animals, or whole ecosystems? Because I tend to think most extinct animals could be cool.

So here are Europe and North America in the late Pleistocene. If I don't give the species name, assume there are multiple species. I've included some small animals (like rodents and mustelids), especially the extinct island species, but I haven't bothered to list every living species of small vertebrate. For North America I don't have all of the ground sloths, pronghorns, deer, large birds, marine mammals, or armadillos, but this is a start.


[Snip]

Wow, that's left no shortage of choice. I'm not even sure where to begin. How about you tell me about you favorite European animals from the list or some that you think a role playing party would encounter. Or Mammoths, since they are domesticated.

Actually come to think of it which Ice Age creatures do you think could be domesticated?

[Dangerious P. Cats]

On another note, Martial Arts. Thanks to everyone who offered advice or information, researching this has been hard since much of what I learnt was that there heavy limits to the historical record and that much of the information is contradictory.

I wrote some general Martial Arts based on my reading of the Celts' fighting method, they are:

Gael Boxing
This style of boxing is a common form of combat taught among the Pastalists/Western Men groups, although it is occasionally now in the lands of the Matriarchs also. The styles applications range from drunken brawls to battles and cattle raids. The style was inspired by tales of Celtic feasts where drunken brawls as well as images of men boxing with what appear to be dumbbells. A lot of the descriptive of fighting in Celtic Mythology talk about great feats of agility, which I interpreted as descriptions of agile fighting styles being ramped up to 11. The techniques are based on what I know of modern Bare Knuckle, assuming that there would be more wrestling.

Skills: Boxing, Wrestling, Brawling, Acrobatics
Techniques: Counter Attack (boxing), Feint (boxing), Aggressive Parry (boxing), Hammer Fist (brawling), Ground Fighting, Low line defence, Push Kick, Uppercut (boxing),
Cinematic Skills: Kiai,
Cinematic Techniques: Fighting while seated, Lethal strike,
Perks: Drunken fighting, Improvised Weapon (boxing), Neck Control,

Optional Traits
Skills: Carousing

Celtic Spear & Shield
The Spear and Shield were the most common weapons system of the period. Most male burials were found with a spear or few, and even the scabbards of swords often depict warriors with spear and shield. Much of the system I pieced together from the Spear and Shield I've done as part of Dark Ages reenactment and from descriptions I could find. I read somewhere that one of the tests for Celtic warriors trying to join a special band of fighters was to stand in a waist deep hole and protect themselves from thrown sticks with a stick of their own, which I enthusiastically interrupted as using a weapon to defend against javelins. The Cinematic skills were easier to get since Celtic Mythology is full of impossible, but awesome sounding feats.

Skills: Acrobatics, Spear, Shield, Wrestling, Parry Missile Weapons
Techniques: Acrobatic Stand, Armed Grapple (spear), Close Combat (spear), Counter Attack (spear),
Cinematic Skills: Flying leap, light walk,
Cinematic Techniques: Flying Lunge,
Perks: Shield Wall training, Teamwork, Weapon Bond

Gallic Swordplay
Cesar described the Celts as whirling their swords above their heads when they fought and while this has traditionally been interpreted as the Celts flailing steel with no great skill I tend to think it more reminiscent of moulenet cuts from later European systems or the circle motions described in La Canne and later period sabre. I tend to assume that the a Shield is present in the system since single sword systems seem rare before the Renaissance, Fiore even refers to single sword as sword without buckler. The system teaches sword and shield as a starting point and then single sword after that, with all guards and motions assumed to work for both. The goal of the whirling motions is to protect the hand and head while striking and returning and the system emphasises caution and the keeping of distance, especially when using single sword.

Skills: Acrobatics, Broadsword, Shield, Wrestling, Parry Missile Weapons
Techniques: Acrobatic Stand, Back strike (broadsword), Counter Attack (broadsword), Feint (broadsword), Retain Weapon (broadsword),
Cinematic Skills: Flying leap
Cinematic Techniques: Flying Lunge, Initial carving (broadsword), Timed Defence (broadsword)
Perks: Special Setup (Sword parry > arm grapple), Weapon Bond

Optional Traits
Skills: Fast Draw (sword), karate, judo

Then there are the Matriarch's Martial Arts:

The War mother
The War mother is a series of rituals and festivals to prepare warriors for war and teach combat skills among the matriarch. The war mother forms the basis of Matriarch martial arts and many other combat arts act as extensions of it in much the same way as modern fencers learn foil before other weapons. Although only men participate in the ritual displays women are encouraged to train in combat arts. Much of the War Mother is about displays of fitness and strength as well as being ready for war and many of the festivals involved within it are for men to display their prowess. For this reason athletics are as important to the War Mother as combative skills. The war mother teaches only the prime weapons of a warrior, namely the spear shield and javelin, mostly through drills and games.

Skills: Spear, Shield, Running, Jumping, Parry Missile Weapon, Sumo Wrestling, Thrown Weapon (spear)
Techniques: Armed grapple (shield), Close Combat (spear), Counter Attack (spear)
Cinematic Skills: Power Blow, Breaking Blow, Push,
Cinematic Techniques: Dual-weapon Attack, Dual Weapon Defence, Flying Lunge (spear),
Perks: Shield Wall Training, Team Work

Maiden's Fist
The Maiden's Fist is an unarmed style popular among women, especially those wanting to keep their husbands in check. The style is often taught by wise women in villages, distinguishing it from other styles which are taught by veteran warriors, many of whom are male. The style is quick and nasty, teaching about where to hit on the body for maximum damage and how to disable with holds.

Skills: Karate, Wrestling, Acrobatics
Techniques: Aggressive Parry, Arm lock, Choke Hold, Elbow Strike, Feint, ground fighting (Karate), Jump Kick, Kicking, Knee Strike,
Cinematic Skills:
Cinematic Techniques: Flying Jump Kick, Lethal Kick, Lethal strike, Pressure Point Strike
Perks: Ground Guard, Special setup (Aggressive parry > Armlock)

Widow's Blade
The Widow's Blade hold the distinction of being one of the few sword styles that does not accompany the sword with a shield. The name derives from the idea of a "Widowed sword", that is the use of a sword after a shield has been destroyer, though the style has evolved to a single sword system in it's own right and shield use is not always taught. Widow's Blade focuses on whirling attacks from high guards, often reposting or redoubling attacks. The style has an unarmed component also, using quick strikes and grapples along with mobile footwork.

Skills: Broadsword, Brawling, Fast Draw (sword), Wrestling, Acrobatics
Techniques: Back Strike (Broadsword), Armed Grapple (sword), Counter Attack (Broadsword), Feint (Broadsword),
Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap, Light Walk, Retain Weapon (Broadsword)
Cinematic Techniques: Flying Lunge (Broadsword),
Perks: Rapid retraction (kicks), Weapon Bond

I also wrote some Thall Martial Arts

The Great Hunt
To Thalls Hunting is the use of violence to gain resources. Mercenary work is referred as "fortune hunting" while battle is the hunt of enemies. The Great Hunt is a ritual that many young Thalls engage in, designed to teach them the skills needed to not only hunt big game like Mammoths, but also the enemies of the Tribe. Training is gruelling, the training sites are usually located at the top of mountains away from the village with the Trainees must run to and from each mourning. Special honours are awarded to Thalls that preform great feats, such as outclassing their peers in a form of combat, or carrying a fellow on the return trip if they have become to tired to go on. The training is designed to build resolve as much as combat skill.

Skills: Running, Hiking, Spear, Shield, Sumo Wrestling
Techniques: Attack from above (spear),
Cinematic Skills: Power blow, Presure points strike
Perks: Shield Wall Training, Team Work

Optional Traits
Advantages: Extra Lift, Increased HT and FP
Disadvantages: Bloodlust, Chummy, gregarious
Skills: Knife, Short Sword, intimidation

Thall Blade Craft
The Thall's Blade Craft is the skills of using sword and knife in brutal close combat. The Thalls derive their knife and sword skills from the same basic movements, much of it drawn from the expertise gained in the press of combat. For this reason Thall Blade Craft tends to focus on close and brutal combat, often training warriors to quickly draw their swords once the enemy has closed.

Skills: Fast Draw (sword), Knife, Shortsword, Wrestling, Shield
Techniques: Close Combat (shortsword), Feint,
Cinematic Skills:Power blow, Pressure points strike
Cinematic Techniques: Timed Defence
Perks: Quick Sheath,Spacial Setup (Sword parry > Grapple)

[Vaevictis Asmadi]

Originally Posted by Dangerious P. Cats

The theory I read, and consiquently based the setting around, was that when agriculture first occured in Northern Europe it was generally women's work. Agriculutre had grown (pun so totally intended) out of hunter gathering with the gathering being done by women. As agriculture became more important as a food source women became more powerful within society, and religion came to reflect this. This is supposedly the time when the Venus figures occurred, supposing a pantheon lead by a mother goddess.

There's nothing at all wrong with using that for fiction, it is fiction after all. But don't take it seriously. The "Venus" figurines were made during the Upper Paleolithic, during the Ice Age, millennia before agriculture, and nobody has any way to know what they depict or why they were made. There's no way to know if they represent goddesses (let alone how many goddesses might have made up any hypothetical pantheon), as opposed to pregnant women, or abstract fertility, or hot ideal wives. Those ideas aren't impossible, but they don't have evidence. Generally, if I see a "theory" that claims to have detailed information about Ice Age religious practice or myth, or about prehistoric matriarchal societies, I'm very, very suspicious.

Wow, that's left no shortage of choice. I'm not even sure where to begin. How about you tell me about you favorite European animals from the list or some that you think a role playing party would encounter. Or Mammoths, since they are domesticated.

Favorites? I think moose and giant unicorn rhinos are pretty cool. Horses, bison, and mammoth were very numerous in the Ice Age. Grassland animals (rhino, lion, wolf, cheetah, reindeer, muskox, donkey, jackal, saiga, hyena, polecat, jerboa, hamster) in general should be more common than forest animals. Most large animals can be dangerous (even ground sloths had nasty claws) but porcupines and skunks can also be "entertaining" encounters.

Actually come to think of it which Ice Age creatures do you think could be domesticated?

Wildcats, aurochs, tarpan, wild boar, and of course wolves were domesticated in real life, producing cats, cows, horses, pigs, and dogs.

Any of the horses or donkeys could potentially be domesticated, although it doesn't seem to work that well with tame zebras AFAIK, so for the extinct and living-but-untamed species it's your choice.

Red foxes are in the process of being domesticated right now, so that works. They sometimes end up piebald or spotted, like dogs and cats. I don't know how that would work out for coyotes, jackals, Arctic foxes, and corsac foxes, but it seems that being solitary does not automatically make a canine untamable. Dholes are pack animals, but I don't know how their temperament and social structure compares with wolves.

Mammoths, strait-tusk elephants, and dwarf elephants might work about as well as Asian elephants, which aren't actually domesticated. They can be raised in captivity, but they take so long to grow to adults that people prefer to capture the babies from the wild and tame them using brutal methods that amount to torture. You can choose to assume that mastodons and prod-tuskers are similar, or decide that they are easier or harder to tame, but they'll take just as long to grow up. All elephants are very intelligent, possibly as intelligent as chimpanzees.

Reindeer have been tamed (or domesticated?) and moose are being domesticated at this time, but so far tame moose don't take well to being confined, and AFAIK domestic reindeer aren't confined. Moose need to be allowed to go out and browse in the forest, so they have to be free-range, and if they are killed for food they run away. Tame moose can already be milked and ridden. They'd have to be bred extensively before they could be useful to pull carts or plows, and species-specific harnesses would have to be designed, but the same was true of horses so IMO it's possible, given time. Being free-range, and breeding with wild moose, probably makes it harder to breed them. But amoral people can "solve" that by exterminating the wild animal, which is one reason that aurochs and tarpan are extinct today. Most of this I learned from this moose farm website: http://www.moosefarm.newmail.ru/e000.htm

Other deer may be domesticatable, but may have the same restrictions as reindeer and moose. Some Native Americans in Mesoamerica supposedly kept tame deer, but didn't get around to domestication before the Spanish invaded.

Skunks are tamed and kept as pets today, and I'm told they're affectionate, but I don't know what use they'd have except maybe as a cat-substitute... what do they eat? Maybe they could be trained as house guards... that would be pretty cool, actually, as long as you don't mind having your house sprayed in the crossfire in the event that some thief is really stupid enough to provoke the guard-skunk! I've also heard that even if their scent glands are surgically removed, they still smell.

Polecats of one sort or another are the ancestors of domestic ferrets, so the steppe polecat can probably be domesticated, assuming the ferret isn't descended from it already.

Many of the herd animals (pronghorn, muskox, bison/wisent, llama, camel, shrub ox) may be potential domestics, but it depends on their temperaments, which I'm not familiar with. Camels are nasty, so some species may be too vicious to domesticate. Large bovines adapted to predation from lions (Ice Age bison) might be too vicious to domesticate as well, but it's up to you.

Rodents, hutias, and pikas might work, or they might not, I don't know. It's probably worth a try. Sea mink possibly could be tamed, though I don't know about domestication. Rabbits already have been domesticated.

Cheetahs have been tamed and used as hunting companions, but the cheetah-puma was a different genus, and larger, so it might be less easily tamed. It might be possible to domesticate lynx, margay, or ocelot, but I wouldn't advise your people to try any larger cats.

Monkeys of various species have been tamed, but I don't know if all species can be tamed, and the Caribbean species are all extinct so you'll have to decide. Likewise, for those extinct species with no living analogs (ground sloths, Machrauchenia, glyptodonts, teratorns) and for some other animals (bears, tapirs, armadillos, peccaries, solenodons, ibex, chamois, saiga, dwarf goat, great auk) I simply have no idea. I'm guessing peccaries are too vicious, though.

Ancient Egyptians tried to domesticate hyenas and apparently it didn't last, so I'd count them out.

Rhinos, hippos, giant unicorns, and wolverines most likely cannot be tamed, and it probabably shouldn't be attempted. Trying to domesticate the seals is probably pointless.


Not all tame species can realistically be used as riding or draft animals. If you want to keep that part of your setting pretty realistic, I would limit riding and draft animals to horses, cows, camels, moose, elephants, mammoths, and maybe Machrauchenia, giant deer, stag-moose, bison, shrub oxen, muskoxen, mastodons, and/or prod-tuskers. Dogs, llamas, and donkeys are used as pack animals, and maybe reindeer as well, so there's probably a wider range of what animals can carry weight on their backs, or even pull a sled or cart if yoked in teams like sled-dogs. If people are farming, the ranges of the crops and of the chosen draft animal will need to coincide -- moose, muskox, reindeer, and woolly mammoth, for example, need to live in quite cold regions -- mammoths in Egypt building pyramids are right out!

I think bear cavalry and rhino cavalry are impossible, but if you don't mind making the setting unrealistic, go for it.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Dangerious P. Cats

Martial Arts

Nice work; thanks for sharing. Nitpicks:

Originally Posted by Dangerious P. Cats

Maiden's Fist
The Maiden's Fist is an unarmed style popular among women, especially those wanting to keep their husbands in check. The style is often taught by wise women in villages, distinguishing it from other styles which are taught by veteran warriors, many of whom are male. The style is quick and nasty, teaching about where to hit on the body for maximum damage and how to disable with holds.

Skills: Karate, Wrestling, Acrobatics
Techniques: Aggressive Parry, Arm lock, Choke Hold, Elbow Strike, Feint, ground fighting (Karate), Jump Kick, Kicking, Knee Strike,
Cinematic Techniques: Flying Jump Kick, Lethal Kick, Lethal strike, Pressure Point Strike
Perks: Ground Guard, Special setup (Aggressive parry > Armlock)

IMHO this style doesn't really fit its description as-written. A simple self-defense style intended for widespread distribution to an entire gender doesn't need a couple of Hard skills (especially Acrobatics). Sure, the extra damage point for Karate is nice for women if you want to focus 8+ points on it, but Brawling gives you lots of really vicious techniques that can also compensate for low ST while only losing Jump Kick / Flying Jump Kick (which seem a little jarring in a style that otherwise looks more like BJJ anyway)... If I were doing this, I'd cut it down to Brawling + Wrestling with emphasis on Arm Locks and Knee Strikes (maybe even Technique Mastery: Knee Strike) and direct anybody who wants more to the "serious" armed styles.

Originally Posted by Dangerious P. Cats

Widow's Blade
The Widow's Blade hold the distinction of being one of the few sword styles that does not accompany the sword with a shield. The name derives from the idea of a "Widowed sword", that is the use of a sword after a shield has been destroyer, though the style has evolved to a single sword system in it's own right and shield use is not always taught. Widow's Blade focuses on whirling attacks from high guards, often reposting or redoubling attacks. The style has an unarmed component also, using quick strikes and grapples along with mobile footwork.

Skills: Broadsword, Brawling, Fast Draw (sword), Wrestling, Acrobatics
Techniques: Back Strike (Broadsword), Armed Grapple (sword), Counter Attack (Broadsword), Feint (Broadsword),
Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap, Light Walk, Retain Weapon (Broadsword)
Cinematic Techniques: Flying Lunge (Broadsword),
Perks: Rapid retraction (kicks), Weapon Bond

If you're going to include Rapid Retraction for kicks, you may as well give it Kicking and/or Push Kick (for keeping the enemy at Broadsword range). I'd also remove Fast Draw (if your shield is gone, your sword's been out for a while now) and throw in Improvised Weapons (Brawling) for training at striking with the metal handle of the shield, which was historically used like brass knuckles after the wooden part was hacked away in some cultures, to play up the things that are unique and cool about the origin.

Originally Posted by Dangerious P. Cats

Thall Blade Craft
The Thall's Blade Craft is the skills of using sword and knife in brutal close combat. The Thalls derive their knife and sword skills from the same basic movements, much of it drawn from the expertise gained in the press of combat. For this reason Thall Blade Craft tends to focus on close and brutal combat, often training warriors to quickly draw their swords once the enemy has closed.

Skills: Fast Draw (sword), Knife, Shortsword, Wrestling, Shield
Techniques: Close Combat (shortsword), Feint,
Cinematic Skills:Power blow, Pressure points strike
Cinematic Techniques: Timed Defence
Perks: Quick Sheath,Spacial Setup (Sword parry > Grapple)

Why include Shield in a close combat style? Anybody using this style at all will want to discard his shield ASAP if he has one, to avoid the penalties and give himself a live hand for a grab-n-stab. Also, what kind of grapple is the special setup perk for? If Armed, why not include the Armed Grapple or Arm Lock (Knife) technique? (Arm Lock in general would be good for this, actually - I'd swap out Feint for it, nobody's going to be parrying in a knife fight). If Wrestling... how does that work, exactly? :]

From a pure efficiency standpoint, are you sure you want Shortsword for this at all? If you focus the style on the Long Knife from MA, they trade a point of swing damage (more than compensated with their increased upper body ST, on the rare occasions when it's not better to stab in the clinch anyway) for free C,1 Reach and can put the points the Shortsword skill and the Close Combat technique would eat (at least ~8 to be useful) into the base Knife skill for better accuracy and parrying.

[Vaevictis Asmadi]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

Sure, the extra damage point for Karate is nice for women if you want to focus 8+ points on it, but Brawling gives you lots of really vicious techniques that can also compensate for low ST while only losing Jump Kick / Flying Jump Kick (which seem a little jarring in a style that otherwise looks more like BJJ anyway)... If I were doing this, I'd cut it down to Brawling + Wrestling with emphasis on Arm Locks and Knee Strikes (maybe even Technique Mastery: Knee Strike) and direct anybody who wants more to the "serious" armed styles.

I don't have Martial Arts so I don't know the names of the appropriate techniques, but good things that are useful for smaller and lower ST characters include actions that twist arms, especially twising the arm back in a way that immobilizes it and opens it up to a dislocating shoulder-blow. I also agree with Arm Locks and Knee Strikes.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Vaevictis Asmadi

I don't have Martial Arts so I don't know the names of the appropriate techniques, but good things that are useful for smaller and lower ST characters include actions that twist arms, especially twising the arm back in a way that immobilizes it and opens it up to a dislocating shoulder-blow. I also agree with Arm Locks and Knee Strikes.

Yeah, Arm Lock is going to be the key move here. It has a penalty to break free from to counteract high ST, prevents counterattacks with that limb, trains up to Wrestling+4 cheaply for 1 point/level, and can be used to discipline unruly menfolk with disabling pain, or snap bone, or both for fully versatile functionality around the house. Why break your own labor when you don't have to, after all?

[Dangerious P. Cats]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

Nice work; thanks for sharing. Nitpicks:

Oh nitpicks, tasty.

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

IMHO this style doesn't really fit its description as-written. A simple self-defense style intended for widespread distribution to an entire gender doesn't need a couple of Hard skills (especially Acrobatics). Sure, the extra damage point for Karate is nice for women if you want to focus 8+ points on it, but Brawling gives you lots of really vicious techniques that can also compensate for low ST while only losing Jump Kick / Flying Jump Kick (which seem a little jarring in a style that otherwise looks more like BJJ anyway)... If I were doing this, I'd cut it down to Brawling + Wrestling with emphasis on Arm Locks and Knee Strikes (maybe even Technique Mastery: Knee Strike) and direct anybody who wants more to the "serious" armed styles.

I should probably up-date the description a little but when I said quick and nasty I meant that the style empahrsised quick attacks and movements, not that it was quick to learn. Likewise this is not a women's self defence course but a full martial art learnt over a period of years. There is no assumption that the practitioner is of low strength (below ST10). I really envisioned this as a style taught and practiced on an on-going basis.

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

If you're going to include Rapid Retraction for kicks, you may as well give it Kicking and/or Push Kick (for keeping the enemy at Broadsword range). I'd also remove Fast Draw (if your shield is gone, your sword's been out for a while now) and throw in Improvised Weapons (Brawling) for training at striking with the metal handle of the shield, which was historically used like brass knuckles after the wooden part was hacked away in some cultures, to play up the things that are unique and cool about the origin.

I like the idea of including push kick. The style was developed from the skills used if a shiled had been lost but it is an entirely single sword system by now, assuming that no shield is present when the fight begins. The reason for fast draw is because the practitioner cannot draw their sword behind the safty of a shield. Though adding brawling and shiled to the optional skills would be a good idea.

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

Why include Shield in a close combat style? Anybody using this style at all will want to discard his shield ASAP if he has one, to avoid the penalties and give himself a live hand for a grab-n-stab. Also, what kind of grapple is the special setup perk for? If Armed, why not include the Armed Grapple or Arm Lock (Knife) technique? (Arm Lock in general would be good for this, actually - I'd swap out Feint for it, nobody's going to be parrying in a knife fight). If Wrestling... how does that work, exactly? :]

The reaon I included shield is because prior to the Renneisence European fencing seemed to treat sword & shield as the default and single sword as an advanced methord beyond that, so it's assumed that all sword systems will teach shield. That said the style does teach single sword in the more advanced forms. It could be assumed that a practitioner would drop their shield once they got into grappling range (probably by slamming in with the shield).

The grapple in an unarmed grapple using wresteling with the off hand, this is the bits of the style where the shield is disgarded. That said I am tempted to add some more armed grapples now.

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

From a pure efficiency standpoint, are you sure you want Shortsword for this at all? If you focus the style on the Long Knife from MA, they trade a point of swing damage (more than compensated with their increased upper body ST, on the rare occasions when it's not better to stab in the clinch anyway) for free C,1 Reach and can put the points the Shortsword skill and the Close Combat technique would eat (at least ~8 to be useful) into the base Knife skill for better accuracy and parrying.

The style is a style for useing Thall bladed weapons, the swordish one of which is a bronze cleaver or Falchion, used with shortsword skill. The Thalls don't use long knives, they only have bronze work knives that they often end up fighting with.