Analyzing the kotlc crew’s fight styles during a hypothetical high-violence war!!
Sophie: I actually picture Sophie being the most hesitant to kill. She’s seen people die, seen the consequences of death. So, she grasps the concept of never coming back better than her friends. The rest of them are used to great aunts that disappear for millennia then show up for some random important event. Everyone else has an easier time pretending that death is a temporary setback but Sophie knows the truth.
She also believes that elven bodies are more fragile than they are, she’s still not used to how advanced the medicine is. She believes some hits should kill, forgetting that a simple potion would close the wound. This gives her more time to reflect before a killing move.
So she prefers distance, throwing knives and stars at her enemies. The Black Swan made her an accurate shot and this way she doesn’t have to watch the light leave their eyes. If she can, she just uses her abilities and disarms her opponents.
I picture Sophie taking on a more political role. She’s the Moonlark, the symbol of winning war. This makes other species more willing to trust her and increases her importance, making the Black Swan less willing to put her on the field. Plus she’s the leader, she gets maps and strategies. Her job becomes sending her friends to the battleground.
Although she wishes she were sending herself. She would take their place in a heartbeat.
Fitz: He’s literally the embodiment of a knight in shining armor. He’ll take the big sword and rescue the damsel in distress. He’s big and strong, the perfect action hero.
Except he’s too by-the-book. He can execute almost anything he was trained to do perfectly. You would think he could defeat any enemy without breaking a sweat, except he doesn’t improvise well. Fitz believes in order and honor, he won’t play dirty even in a broken game.
He becomes the inspiration. This is the soldier you should be, he inspires new recruits to train hard. Hes the golden boy and the golden soldier.
Keefe: The human shield. Takes more risks than he should. Always on the offense and forgetting to protect himself. It’s so easy to slip a dagger past him, sinking it into his flesh.
He’ll also jump in front of a throwing star is it means somebody else doesn’t get hurt. When the Black Swan puts Sophie on the field, they want him next to her. He would always choose death over watching her get hurt.
Eventually he’ll have more hospital visits than Sophie. Injuries from every fight and training session. He can’t really feel it anymore, doesn’t count the aches and scars. It’s just what he has to face in order to repent for the times he’s ran. He won’t run away again, even if it’s the smarter choice.
Dex: Objectively bad at fighting. Literally loses in every training situation and avoids traditional combat.
His innovative gadgets make up for every area he lacks. He has things that increase his strength and skill, things to destroy enemies from yards away, things to protect himself, and things to protect his friends. His brain works fast enough to remember what pocket each tool is stored in and to edit his gadgets on the field before his opponent can attack.
So, they keep him on the field. Especially because of his knowledge of alchemy. This makes him the easiest to train in healing. Eventually he only enters battles to get the fallen back up.
Ends up covered in more blood than any of the true soldiers and it makes him sick.
Biana: The Black Swan’s best fighter.
It’s mentioned how she effortlessly tackles her brother in games and she’s never been afraid to get a little dirty (she’s still the best dressed, even covered in mud). Shes strong, innovative, and determined to make a name for herself. She will not fall victim to the mysterious Vacker legacy, she is Biana and she’s going to survive this war.
With her vanishing abilities, she sticks to close combat. Twin daggers in her hands and more strapped across her body. She can disappear, confusing her enemies, only to reappear holding a knife to their throat.
Also designs her own battle clothes. She sparkles even when surrounded by death. Which means her enemies can tell when she’s approaching, they know when they have to face the youngest Vacker and it’s terrifying. She’s the princess of the battlefield.
Tam: He’s all stealth. It’s best to keep Tam to the shadows instead of directly on the field. He’s almost an assassin, if the concept wasn’t too graphic for the elven mind. High ranking officials are sometimes found dead with no trace that he was ever there. Except for the fact that the shadows always seem more alive after.
Linh: Plays defense. She uses water to catch thrown weapons and to push away her enemies. To approach her is to risk being hit by the wrath of the ocean.
She kill less often, making her enemies pass out or pushing them off the playing field. When she has to she drowns them. Linh sees less blood than the rest of her friends, the water washing away her violence.
Marella: Lights everything on fire. Causes the most destruction but also prone to loosing control. If she focused, if the council let her have more training, she could wipe out entire armies.
