Cleas Sgàith
A List of Feats from Sgoil na Healaíonaí an Chogaidh Sgáithach
Sgoil na Healaíonaí an Chogaidh Sgáithach (Scathach's School of Martial Arts) is an ancient college of combat, drawn from the feminine forces of subconsciousness, night, shadow, the moon, and the Otherworld. These arts are called the Cleas Sgàith, and they are not the typical clan-based warrior variety passed from father to son. The Cleas Sgàith curriculum was devised and developed by an ancient sorority called the Deirfiúrachas Sgáith (Shadow Sisterhood), and the complexity and superiority of their martial arts is known from Lochlann to Africa, from Connacht to Galatia.
Scathach's inner circle of sisters carefully enlist their elite of graduates - Craobh Sgàith - the most famous of whom is the Ulsterman Setanta, later called Cúchulainn.
Warriors of the Craobh Sgàith vary in levels of skill and proficiency, but all are reputed as being equal to nine of the best men in any clan. Their arts became popular among the outlaw bands of Eire, called the Fianna. Though these Fianna are from the same tradition of martial arts, they are not considered true Craobh Sgàith, as they never actually studied under Scathach and the Deirfiúrachas Sgáith. All of the Craobh Sgàith have at their disposal a wide variety of feats that they perform with great success. They are as follows:
- The Jumping Chariot Feat: driving a chariot over treetops
- The Javelin Feat: throwing a javelin, then running and catching it before it hits the ground
- The Ten-At-A-Blow Feat: throwing a single spear through several men
- The Feat of Ropes: fighting on a tightrope
- The Cat Feat: running up a tree
- The Feat of Heads: cutting off several heads with a single stroke
- The Fortunate Stroke: cutting somebody in half lengthwise
- The Apple Feat: juggling nine objects (such as apples), with never more than one in a hand at a time
- The Feat of the Stunning Shot: stunning several birds with one sling shot
- The Stroke of Precision: calling a shot to a particular body part
- The Salmon Leap: jumping up in the air and striking from above with a spear, behind the shield of your foe
- The Hero's Scream: shattering your enemy's weapon with a scream
- The Feat of the Shield Rim: using the shield as a cutting edge
- Geasa Feat: imposing a geas upon another
- Aithriocht Feat: changing your shape into another animal
- Cómhla Breac Feat: finding and opening a gate to the Otherworld
- Ogham Bríocht Feat: using tree magic to cast a spell
- Toghairm Feat: summoning up the ghost from a severed head
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An Leabhar na nAmlaidh
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