Most powerful hand-to-hand fighters in the lore. : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Mon May 07, 2012 8:28 pm

So, other than the Ancestor Moths, are there any powerful unarmed combatants in the lore? I've never read anything like that myself and was wondering if one of the more experienced lore buffs knew anything. When I think 'powerful' I mean over the top, taking heads off with kicks and driving fists through stomachs. Whatever is close to that. Yes, I was watching DBZ when I thought of this.

» Mon May 07, 2012 10:39 pm

The Khajiit have a martial arts called The Whispering Fang. You meet one of them in Oblivion and you hear a tale of one in Skyrim from the DB werewolf.
Another legendary style is The Drunken Boasting Nord, which can be found in any tavern, pretty much anywhere. (This is a joke, the first line is not)

» Mon May 07, 2012 11:59 pm

As I recall, only the Khajiit really make an art out of fighting unarmed.

» Tue May 08, 2012 10:05 am

I'm guessing the khajiit, seeing as they're the only race of having any sort of unarmed fighting style, called 'Rain-of-Sand,' as mentioned in Morrowind.

» Tue May 08, 2012 8:27 am

I'm guessing the khajiit, seeing as they're the only race of having any sort of unarmed fighting style, called 'Rain-of-Sand,' as mentioned in Morrowind.

Any details on how it works or is it only mentioned fleetingly?

» Mon May 07, 2012 10:02 pm

Mostly fleetingly. I would say the Khajiit have the best unarmed martial artists around. The Dunmer supposedly have forms of unarmed martial arts but I may just be talking out of my ass on this one. I dunno where I remember that from. Nor do I know if it was considered effective.

» Tue May 08, 2012 11:14 am

Lemme pull up all relevant dialog that I found in the construction set.

I am a monk. In mind and spirit, I am a student of the hidden mysteries, of the unseen world that lies behind the objects and ideas of everyday life. In body, I am a student of the ancient martial arts, patterned on the 'Rain-of-Sand' fighting styles of Elsweyr. I pursue hand-to-hand and unarmored self-defense, because what you don't have, you cannot lose. I also train with the blunt weapons called staffs, because even the poorest peasant can own a staff.

Under "Martial Arts"

The unarmed, unarmored martial arts traditions of the Marshmerrow, Salt Rice, and Golden Reed societies of the Dissident Priest, patterned on the 'Rain-of-Sand' fighting styles of Elsweyr, are slow to be adopted in the Empire, associated as they are with the ascetic renunciation of worldly wealth and material goods, and the rigid disciplines and mystical philosophies so alien to the Imperial West.

Under "unarmored"

Monks dedicated to the ascetic philosophies of Elsweyr have long cultivated the unarmored martial arts traditions called the 'Rain-of-Sand' fighting styles. The Mages Guild and other societies have had some success adapting these styles for self-defense training of wizards and other armor-averse vocations. Students of the unarmored styles wear little or no armor, and count on evasion and deflection to avoid injury.

So yeah, the khajiit are really the only hand-to-hand fighters out there, other than Drunken Nordic Tavern style

» Mon May 07, 2012 8:02 pm

Taken from an in-character interview with some devs on TIL:

Goutfang, Whispering Claw and Rawlith Khaj - what are these?

Jobasha: They are among the many Khajiti arts of claw and tail. Jobasha learned Rawlith Khaj before traveling to Vvardenfell. The name means "rain of sand," and the art has many styles such as Rain, Sand, Wind, Sun, Storm, and Two-Moons-Dance.

» Tue May 08, 2012 3:54 am

Mostly fleetingly. I would say the Khajiit have the best unarmed martial artists around. The Dunmer supposedly have forms of unarmed martial arts but I may just be talking out of my ass on this one. I dunno where I remember that from. Nor do I know if it was considered effective.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Dunmer&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&sa=N&biw=1024&bih=653&tbm=isch&tbnid=2xXdksoHogNvgM:&imgrefurl=http://old.oblivion.wikia.com/wiki/OblivioWiki:Merge/Dunmer&docid=02CCEu_YIByftM&imgurl=http://images.wikia.com/oblivion/images/2/22/Dunmer.gif&w=300&h=395&ei=xO8lT-MCw7HQAdvWwP8I&zoom=1 seems to imply the Dunmer have some type of marital arts style. That or this guy is an interpretive dancer.

Huh, interesting dialogue with the Khajiit. Wonder if they train non-kittens.

If the Velothi were to have a style, I'd imagine it'd be something like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXHG1HF7QoI.

» Tue May 08, 2012 9:08 am

I feel like the dunmer in the image is about to cast magic, not throw punches.

That said, Nerevar fought Ysmir unarmed.

» Tue May 08, 2012 8:22 am

Unarmed combat probably happens in a http://www.imperial-library.info/content/immortal-blood The Khajiit do seem the be the only one's openly training in it and prefering it (on a large scale) to weapons. Which is logical, they have claws and not all Khajiit can actually carry weapons. Besides can you think of one other culture insane enough to prefer going in close and personal with your hands against a freaking sword?

» Tue May 08, 2012 12:01 am

Cat's have Claws. Khajiit seem to like to focus on unarmed comabt, judging by the mention of all these titles. Of course, ~~they get their main skill removed from the game~~ Alduin eats all of that knowledge on unarmed comabt

» Tue May 08, 2012 12:43 am

Dunno, I could punch people pretty hard on my berserker. And the finishing animation is quite hilarious, perfect for a crazed Saxhleel werewolf on all sorts of potions and substances.

» Mon May 07, 2012 9:31 pm

Reymon Ebonarm. Since his hand is fused to his sword, he is the only person allowed to stab people in a game of fisticuffs.
After that is Mehrunes Dagon, since he has the bonus of four arms, which leads to twice as much punching.

» Tue May 08, 2012 11:20 am

Pelinal the Whitestrake gets in on the odd appendage action as well.

» Mon May 07, 2012 9:50 pm

Lemme pull up all relevant dialog that I found in the construction set.

Under "Martial Arts"

Under "unarmored"

So yeah, the khajiit are really the only hand-to-hand fighters out there, other than Drunken Nordic Tavern style :tongue:

When a race with claws and stuff train in martial arts everyone else will see no point in trying to do so. Better to make some armor so you don't get shredded

» Tue May 08, 2012 8:47 am

Dunno, I could punch people pretty hard on my berserker. And the finishing animation is quite hilarious, perfect for a crazed Saxhleel werewolf on all sorts of potions and substances.

Oh God yes. Funny that they decided to make it so that to be effective in hand to hand you have to invest in heavy armor, but then make it so that the finishing animations cause you to feel like a God.

» Mon May 07, 2012 11:23 pm

I'm in light armor.

» Tue May 08, 2012 2:49 am

I'm in light armor.

...

I feel so impotent right now.

» Mon May 07, 2012 9:13 pm

The Akaviri humans probably. They have katanas and Samurai armor, so I'm betting they have the best martial artists as well.

» Tue May 08, 2012 9:11 am

The Akaviri humans probably. They have katanas and Samurai armor, so I'm betting they have the best martial artists as well.

This makes me think of Redguards who use Sword Singing without swords, performing ridiculous techniques ala Fist of the North Star.

» Tue May 08, 2012 3:30 am

This makes me think of Redguards who use Sword Singing without swords, performing ridiculous techniques ala Fist of the North Star.

Now that's fanfiction material.
Oh [censored] it, it's mod material. I want to kick ass as a Raga fist-singing monk now.

» Tue May 08, 2012 2:09 am

This makes me think of Redguards who use Sword Singing without swords, performing ridiculous techniques ala Fist of the North Star.

Old Yokudan monks in the middle of the Alik'r Desert...I can see that.