IN> Indianan Hissing Baby Kung Fu

[Maurice Lane]

http://moeticae.typepad.com/weblog_licentiae_moeticae/2008/07/indianan-hissin.html

Indianan Hissing Baby Kung Fu				15/44 pt


Christopher hates this martial arts style.

To be fair, it is fairly obnoxious - which is why it was taught to Kyriotates of War, particularly those who are uninterested in acquiring their own vessels.  The style started off as a fairly straightforward combat system for entities that can attack with more than one body at once; it favors simultaneous, synchronized strikes that come from all directions.  IHB Kung Fu is very much a power style, and is generally uninterested in subtlety; the closest it gets is an inherent willingness and ability to turn being chucked about the room into a good thing.

What infuriates the Archangel of Children is that, from the practitioner's point of view, the smaller the human being possessed, the more effective the style.  An ordinary Kyriotate may possess up to fourteen babies*:  powerful adepts can easily find themselves possessing up to twenty or twenty five - all of whom will enjoy the miraculous reflexes, strength, and speed of the angel possessing them.  Many observers report that watching a demon be brought down by a veritable flood of kicking, bouncing, and punching babies is one of the most bizarrely satisfying sights of the War.  The true masters of IHB Kung Fu are rumored to be able to not need as many extra (if pudgy) hands to accomplish the same results; it's said that no Master was recognized as such until it defeated ten demons at once, using only one possessed baby.

Not that there can be any more Masters, of course.  Christopher is notoriously against meddling with the lives of children, and Michael is always exceptionally... aware of the opinions of his colleagues, of course.  The style is strictly taught using adult hosts only, of course: but why are the moves still calibrated to infant limbs, then?

Tradition, of course.


Primary Skills: Acrobatics, Boxing, Karate
Secondary Skills: Body Language, Knife
Optional Skills: Jumping, other weapons skills.  Many, many, many adepts buy extra Strong Will

Maneuvers: Aggressive Parry, Breakfall, Cat Stance, Disarming, Ground Fighting, Head Butt, Hit Location (Karate) (2pt), Jab, Kick, Shuto, Slip

Cinematic Skills: Flying Leap, Kiai, Power Blow, Pressure Points

Cinematic Maneuvers: Acrobatic Kick, Enhanced Dodge, Enhanced Parry (bare handed), Flying Jump Kick, Roll With Blow, Springing Attack

*At least, they can in GURPS In Nomine.  The total number of possessions is dependent on the Kyriotate's Will: each host adds the lower of his or her ST or IQ to the running total.  This is different from the straight "total number of Forces" limitation of the normal game; and as a 1 year old child in GURPS 3rd Edition (the default rules system for GURPS In Nomine) has a ST of 1 (and an IQ of 3, thus allowing him or her to be eligible for possession), a Kyriotate can effectively possess as many babies as he has Will, which will automatically default to 14 (as Will is based off of IQ).  This means, among other things, that Kyriotates may possess extra babies at the rate of one for every level of Strong Will purchased, or 4 points...