River Walker
I’ve traveled many miles and seen all manner of fighters. I’ve seen styles and techniques from around the world and beaten them all without complicated blade strikes or fancy flourishes. The simple truth is that any fighter can be outmaneuvered and overtaken by a warrior who has gained mastery over his movements and learned to understand his place in the world.
~Chor Ishan, River Walker

River walkers are bold warrior scholars who represent the principles of the flowing river style of martial combat. They wander the world in search of challenging fights in order to expand their knowledge and achieve mastery over their style. True adherents of the flowing river school, river walkers exemplify that martial style through the practice of a highly mobile form of combat.

River walkers differ from traditional fighters in that they emphasize a mobile form of combat which allows them to move across the battlefield at an incredible pace. Because of their emphasis on movement, river walkers are more lightly armored than traditional fighters. River walkers rely on their mobility to outmaneuver their foes and end combat quickly. In keeping with the flowing river style, river walkers rely on the clever use of martial techniques rather than brute force to achieve their aims. While river walkers are able to use all forms of martial techniques, they focus on techniques from the flowing river school.

River Walkers in the World
He moved like lightning, leading his men across the battlefield with such speed as was terrible to behold. He was moving so quickly it was impossible to aim a shot at him and we were forced to watch as are men were helplessly butchered before us. We retreated soon after.
~Cromwell, Captain of the 3rd Archer Division

River walkers wander the world searching for challenges and seeking to widen the boundaries of their martial philosophy. Roaming swordsmen, river walkers often seek out the best fighters and most skilled warriors in an area to test their abilities against them. Rarely staying in one place for long, river walkers leave little lasting impact on communities beyond the legacy of their martial prowess.

Daily Life:
River walkers lead a nomadic lifestyle and spend much of their life on the road.
Most wander without purpose, striding indifferently from one place to the next and searching for the next challenge. Always seeking to expand their personal knowledge of martial philosophy and combat, as well as to spread their knowledge to others, river walkers remain connected the world primarily through speaking with warriors and would-be warriors about the battle’s way. River walkers believe that the true philosophy behind the flowing river school varies from person to person and is tailored to the individual’s own experience, and therefore that enlightenment can only be achieved through exploration and constantly testing one’s own limits.

Notables:
With the river walkers propensity for wandering and seeking out ever-greater challenges, it’s inevitable that some of them achieve great notoriety. Of all of these, the most famous living river walker is Kuldor the Stout. Kuldor was well known as a man of great muscle and incredible speed, and achieved his notoriety during the campaign of the Black Rose, when Black Rose, a female mercenary of fearsome repute, was slaying her way across the Seven Kingdoms. Kuldor, on a whim, battled Black Rose, slaying her and several of her elite mercenaries. The remaining mercenaries swore allegiance to Kuldor, who made them give up their ways as sellswords and taught them the way of the flowing river, eventually founding a school in the very place where he defeated them.

The founder of the flowing river style was a human of humble beginnings, named Red Mist. Red Mist was the mightiest warrior of a savage but noble people who lived on the banks of a river, which has since been renamed a dozen times. He came to learn of combat artistry from an explorer who came from over a vast sea, who taught him much about finding calm and peace, in addition to teaching him the power of speed over strength. In time it came that no foe could stand against Red Mist, who moved about the battlefield with fluid grace, always striking from the best position. Eventually overcome by wanderlust, Red Mist began to travel the land looking for new styles of combat to observe, and to spread his own unique style of savage ferocity and flowing grace. He attracted many disciples during his journey and taught them all he knew. He turned none away, even teaching hated rivals and weak and wretched peasants.

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