Sword arts

Sword arts in the world of Reign of the Seven Spellblades is a catchall term for a family of combat techniques that combine the use of magic and athames in close combat.

Background
Sword arts originated in the year 1132, when High Sorcerer Wilf Badderwell was killed in a fair duel by a nonmagical swordsman, demonstrating the concept of the one-step, one-spell distance: a radius of approximately twelve feet in which a sword can strike faster than any mage can cast a conventional spell. Since the death of Badderwell, mages have adopted and honed the use of swords, and combined them with magic to create three major styles of sword arts for protection against attacks within this range.

Spellblades are considered the ultimate expression of sword arts. The technical definition of a spellblade is, as stated by Lanoff Style founder Lanoff Evarts, "A strike that can be neither dodged nor blocked, thereby guaranteeing death. Fulfill these conditions within the one-step, one-spell distance, and you have what is called a 'spellblade.' "

As of 1532, Professor Luther Garland taught a class in Sword Arts at Kimberly Magic Academy.

The three major styles

 * Lanoff Style: Emphasizes defense while analyzing an opponent's attack patterns to find openings to counterstrike.
 * Rizett Style: Emphasizes offense, aggression and exploiting opponents weak spots.
 * Koutz Style: Emphasizes mobility, agility, and disruption. Koutz purists are extremely rare.

Lesser Known Styles & Applications

 * Hibiya Style: Samurai battlefield techniques passed down in the Hibiya clan of Tourikueisen, Yamatsu, merged with Western sword arts by Nanao Hibiya.
 * Magicombat: Considered a "counterargument" of sorts to traditional sword arts that instead combines close-range magic with unarmed martial arts.