Fulcrum Blade-Masters of Thessalis-Prime
Feared across the sector as the deadliest cutthroats and mercenaries money can buy, The Fulcrum Blade-Masters are a loose connection of male-only Aeolite enclaves.
Their original purpose of teaching self-defense to the working-class was corrupted over the previous generations into becoming assassins-for-hire with their unorthodox fighting-style.
Origins:
Born in the "North Cracked" housing projects of the Aeonia Ship-Smith Complex, it was developed as a means for the working-class Aeonite to "legally" defend their person.
The leadership of Thessalis-Prime allowed the Archaenids to build manufacturing plants for their ships and their emerging Delot drone technology. The only condition being that the workforce must be Thessalian Aeonites, paid fair wages and provided housing.
However, as the Archaenids transformed into the Delothian Collective, these conditions were altered in favor of the Delots and their automated efficiency.
Over the course of a decade, 75% of the Aeonite population became unemployed, Thessalian leadership was forced to borrow money from the Delots to support their unemployed population along with a flock of Lacdrian refugees, and their cluster was nearly taken over by these planet-spanning ship assembly complexes run entirely by the Delots and their DTOS.
As a result, entire planets became slums filled with gangs fighting over what little food, jobs or Ichor was left to go around. Many of the employed found ways of defending themselves from getting mugged. However, the unreasonable laws on assault defined by the DTOS version 5.7 sent many law-abiding citizens to prison.
From this hell-scape, Goeyemedes: a semi-mythical overseer from the days of the Archaenid manufacturing plants began teaching other a strict martial arts that utilized a fulcrum: a mass produced multi-tool of varying sizes used to tighten bolts and operate Delot heavy machinery.
This technique relied on these key principles: "disarming first, finish last", strike never bludgeon, and to never release a reverse hand grip from your fulcrum.
The reasoning for the reverse grip is in the wording of the DTOS. It defines assault as using a bludgeoning object with the intent to inflict bodily harm on another. However, fulcrums are weighted at their handle and holding it with a reverse grip is how one properly uses a fulcrum at work.
So by this technicality, one can defend their property while maintaining their freedom by saying they were simply using their fulcrum.
This martial art focused on a two-handed grip of a crane length fulcrum. However, other forms were developed for professions that required two fulcrum along with a crank-shaft or service pole.
The primary philosophy of the group is: "Give me a fulcrum and I can move the world." Enforcing a spirit of camaraderie that contrasted the grim reality of life on Thessalis-Prime and on the hostile & violent nature of the Aeonite people.
Following Growth/Lacdrian Rebellion:
As the martial art spread and violent crime dropped sharply in the "North Cracked" district, foremen from around the cluster came to visit Goeyemedes and his "Union of Fulcrum Trainers" in order to defend themselves and their workers.
However, Goeyemedes and his followers would meet daily resistance from the local gangs losing their hold on their neighborhoods along with Delot representatives displeased with their working implements being used as weapons. But the Union would always bounce back.
That is until the time of the 550th Festival of Shattered Gold. That particular year fell to the displaced Lacdrians to host the festivities and select their representative "Hellestine" or blood-mother.
However, the Delots placed themselves as the host for the festivities. Seeing as the Lacdrian homeward of Lycurgus-12 was "appropriated" by the Delots in response to their aggression against encroaching Ionite colonists.
Despite the enormous power the Delots and their patrokonoi held over the sector, the Aeonites and their allies agreed the Lacdrians were to host the festivities on Thessalis-Prime (with princess Lanaxarite playing Hellestine). The Delots relented and the preparations for the festivities were underway.
As attention was being brought on the living conditions in Thessalis-Prime, The Union of Fulcrum Trainers were championing change through peaceful protests (without Goeyemedes' approval). He tried to reign in his students to give Delots a reason to throw all of them in prison.
It was around this time, Goeyemedes' son Dacdelon was organizing several Union members to attack Delot hierarchy during the Festival. Hiding in the crowd aboard a press event with Lanaxdrite, the Dacdelon's followers kidnapped the Delot hierarchy's soul matrices; demanding to re-route the tram through North Cracked.
Believing in uniting all four patrokonoi, Lanaxdrite fought the union members. However, on the actions of a foolish Ionite administrator, the Delot armada fired on the tram and killed Lanaxdrite and the 50 other passengers aboard the tram.
Thus the Lacdrian Rebellion on Thessalis-Prime began. Thousands died in the fighting as Goeyemedes and the Union members were made the primary suspects in the kidnapping and were ordered to surrender and face computational judgement of the DTOS.
It is unclear whether Goeyemedes escaped with the fleeing Lacdrians (now Lanaxdrians), died in the fighting or was imprisoned by Delot security. On that day, the Aeonite agreement was formally dissolvedm the fulcrum outlawed as a lethal weapon, and the Union being labelled a domestic terrorist group.
In Exile:
As practitioners escaped across the sector, starting new lives on new planets, Goeyemedes and Dacdelion's surviving followers kept the art of the fulcrum alive. However, without their leader to keep them on the path of protecting others, followers on both sides perverted the ideals of the Union and adapted their fighting style into a killing art.
Trading their tools for blades, the practitioners of this new form became known as "Fulcrums." The blade masters hold no allegiances or ties to any factions. Once one is initiated as a Fulcrum, they report to the foreman of a local listening post for union meetings and contracts to complete. Carving out a legacy of martial dominance in innocent blood and severed throats for the highest bidders.
Their weapons of choice are custom & heavily modified Kothrian quarter swords (made of Black Copper), Argestoid dual phanax daggers ("scale piercers"), Thessalian collapsible utility canes, Calberian Sickle Lances & Stymphalian Whistlers (throwing knives).
The only stipulation is that all kills must be performed with a blade. No long-ranged weaponry of any kind.
Their original purpose of teaching self-defense to the working-class was corrupted over the previous generations into becoming assassins-for-hire with their unorthodox fighting-style.
Origins:
Born in the "North Cracked" housing projects of the Aeonia Ship-Smith Complex, it was developed as a means for the working-class Aeonite to "legally" defend their person.
The leadership of Thessalis-Prime allowed the Archaenids to build manufacturing plants for their ships and their emerging Delot drone technology. The only condition being that the workforce must be Thessalian Aeonites, paid fair wages and provided housing.
However, as the Archaenids transformed into the Delothian Collective, these conditions were altered in favor of the Delots and their automated efficiency.
Over the course of a decade, 75% of the Aeonite population became unemployed, Thessalian leadership was forced to borrow money from the Delots to support their unemployed population along with a flock of Lacdrian refugees, and their cluster was nearly taken over by these planet-spanning ship assembly complexes run entirely by the Delots and their DTOS.
As a result, entire planets became slums filled with gangs fighting over what little food, jobs or Ichor was left to go around. Many of the employed found ways of defending themselves from getting mugged. However, the unreasonable laws on assault defined by the DTOS version 5.7 sent many law-abiding citizens to prison.
From this hell-scape, Goeyemedes: a semi-mythical overseer from the days of the Archaenid manufacturing plants began teaching other a strict martial arts that utilized a fulcrum: a mass produced multi-tool of varying sizes used to tighten bolts and operate Delot heavy machinery.
Technique:
This technique relied on these key principles: "disarming first, finish last", strike never bludgeon, and to never release a reverse hand grip from your fulcrum.
The reasoning for the reverse grip is in the wording of the DTOS. It defines assault as using a bludgeoning object with the intent to inflict bodily harm on another. However, fulcrums are weighted at their handle and holding it with a reverse grip is how one properly uses a fulcrum at work.
So by this technicality, one can defend their property while maintaining their freedom by saying they were simply using their fulcrum.
This martial art focused on a two-handed grip of a crane length fulcrum. However, other forms were developed for professions that required two fulcrum along with a crank-shaft or service pole.
The primary philosophy of the group is: "Give me a fulcrum and I can move the world." Enforcing a spirit of camaraderie that contrasted the grim reality of life on Thessalis-Prime and on the hostile & violent nature of the Aeonite people.
Following Growth/Lacdrian Rebellion:
As the martial art spread and violent crime dropped sharply in the "North Cracked" district, foremen from around the cluster came to visit Goeyemedes and his "Union of Fulcrum Trainers" in order to defend themselves and their workers.
However, Goeyemedes and his followers would meet daily resistance from the local gangs losing their hold on their neighborhoods along with Delot representatives displeased with their working implements being used as weapons. But the Union would always bounce back.
That is until the time of the 550th Festival of Shattered Gold. That particular year fell to the displaced Lacdrians to host the festivities and select their representative "Hellestine" or blood-mother.
However, the Delots placed themselves as the host for the festivities. Seeing as the Lacdrian homeward of Lycurgus-12 was "appropriated" by the Delots in response to their aggression against encroaching Ionite colonists.
Despite the enormous power the Delots and their patrokonoi held over the sector, the Aeonites and their allies agreed the Lacdrians were to host the festivities on Thessalis-Prime (with princess Lanaxarite playing Hellestine). The Delots relented and the preparations for the festivities were underway.
As attention was being brought on the living conditions in Thessalis-Prime, The Union of Fulcrum Trainers were championing change through peaceful protests (without Goeyemedes' approval). He tried to reign in his students to give Delots a reason to throw all of them in prison.
It was around this time, Goeyemedes' son Dacdelon was organizing several Union members to attack Delot hierarchy during the Festival. Hiding in the crowd aboard a press event with Lanaxdrite, the Dacdelon's followers kidnapped the Delot hierarchy's soul matrices; demanding to re-route the tram through North Cracked.
Believing in uniting all four patrokonoi, Lanaxdrite fought the union members. However, on the actions of a foolish Ionite administrator, the Delot armada fired on the tram and killed Lanaxdrite and the 50 other passengers aboard the tram.
Thus the Lacdrian Rebellion on Thessalis-Prime began. Thousands died in the fighting as Goeyemedes and the Union members were made the primary suspects in the kidnapping and were ordered to surrender and face computational judgement of the DTOS.
It is unclear whether Goeyemedes escaped with the fleeing Lacdrians (now Lanaxdrians), died in the fighting or was imprisoned by Delot security. On that day, the Aeonite agreement was formally dissolvedm the fulcrum outlawed as a lethal weapon, and the Union being labelled a domestic terrorist group.
In Exile:
As practitioners escaped across the sector, starting new lives on new planets, Goeyemedes and Dacdelion's surviving followers kept the art of the fulcrum alive. However, without their leader to keep them on the path of protecting others, followers on both sides perverted the ideals of the Union and adapted their fighting style into a killing art.
Trading their tools for blades, the practitioners of this new form became known as "Fulcrums." The blade masters hold no allegiances or ties to any factions. Once one is initiated as a Fulcrum, they report to the foreman of a local listening post for union meetings and contracts to complete. Carving out a legacy of martial dominance in innocent blood and severed throats for the highest bidders.
Their weapons of choice are custom & heavily modified Kothrian quarter swords (made of Black Copper), Argestoid dual phanax daggers ("scale piercers"), Thessalian collapsible utility canes, Calberian Sickle Lances & Stymphalian Whistlers (throwing knives).
The only stipulation is that all kills must be performed with a blade. No long-ranged weaponry of any kind.
Cluster of Origin: Thessalis-Prime
Era of Creation: Age of Anarchy
Main Practitioners: Aeonites (exclusively)
Type
Mercenary
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