Polishing Harry's Staff

[TheCuriousFan]

I think one of the more unexpected things that Harry will get from his marriage to Lara is some lessons in how to handle his staff based on two bits in Peace Talks.

I snapped my staff at her in a simple thrust. She parried easily and countered with a hard beat that came so fast that it nearly took the weapon out of my hand. I recovered the weapon and my balance, retreating from a strike that hit the mat where my bare foot had been an instant earlier. The blow landed hard enough to send a crack like a home-run hit through the room.

“Hell’s balls, Lara!” I said.

“Pain is the best teacher,” she said. “I don’t pull hits. You shouldn’t, either.”

The training scene showing that she's more skilled than Harry in quarterstaff fighting.

But the old man had learned his quarterstaff in Britain, long enough ago that it had still been a common weapon in widespread use, and his teachers had been masters. His own staff caught mine in a parry, and he followed up with an advance and a circling sweeping motion that would have taken my weapon out of my hands if I hadn’t disengaged properly.

He came at me in a blur of attacks. If we’d been on solid ground, he’d have knocked my punk ass out cold.

Ebenezar may have been boosting himself with kinetomancy but the fact remains that he still hands Harry his ass in a quarterstaff fight the moment he gets off the ice. Harry needs to go back to school for yet another reason (especially after that showing in Skin Game).

So yeah, with those two quotes in mind I think there's some foreshadowing for Harry getting better with a staff/spear in melee.

But most importantly, it opens the door for some silly puns.

[Larry Fowler]

If there was a like icon like in face book, I would have like your post .

Looks like you are right Harry needs lessons it's hinted many times in PT/BG. Just how he describes how other practitioners work (Eb, Carlos and Thorned come to mind).

I really think he should take River shoulders offer and maybe resume training at is grand-pa. Honning his skills to better channel his brute strength would help Harry a great deal.

If he improves his quarterstaff techniques fooling around with Lara its all good stuff.

[Snark Knight]

I really think he should take River shoulders offer and maybe resume training at is grand-pa. Honning his skills to better channel his brute strength would help Harry a great deal.

I'm not sure that's really an option. Eb shelved the argument while they had a Titan to focus on, but things aren't back to right between them. He might even be wavering whether Langtry is right that Harry should be taken out before he can go full baddy.

[The_Sibelis]

I have this weird meta that Harry has a staff and a rod specifically because of the verse "thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.".
I'd like to see Harry take his staff work into spear work. They're practically the same thing depending on the style of the art. Something like wing chuns longpole would be perfect for his play to my reach attitude as well as work with the spear of destiny.

[Larry Fowler]

For the time being I guess you are right about Eb. Then he should go back to River shoulders and revisit theories with Bob. He might have to bribe him with a bit but he could probably learn from his old assistant. 

[TheCuriousFan]

If there was a like icon like in face book, I would have like your post .

Looks like you are right Harry needs lessons it's hinted many times in PT/BG. Just how he describes how other practitioners work (Eb, Carlos and Thorned come to mind).

I really think he should take River shoulders offer and maybe resume training at is grand-pa. Honning his skills to better channel his brute strength would help Harry a great deal.

If he improves his quarterstaff techniques fooling around with Lara its all good stuff.

He probably will take River Shoulders offer for the magical and emotional side of things.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

So basically you are saying that Lara should help Harry polish his staff?

As Harry admitted to Eb in Peace Talks that when he was alone all that time of the island he could only work on his staff with what was to hand, so to speak, leaving it somewhat rough and in need of further attention.

He had the wood, but really wasn’t in a position to properly take care of it all on his own, and could have used some oil to make the whole process a lot smoother, and prevent his staff from warping or splitting, especially given the immense pent up power contained within it.

He had the horn and that helped with the whole business, but it still left his staff feeling rough and his hands somewhat tender after getting his rocks off from working on it, and if he had made a mistake, it would have made it very difficult to rub one out.

Although the Swartalves were able to help Harry cut around his staffs circumference at its tip to allow for a better, cleaner fit for the screw  they seem to have been reluctant to help him polish it.

I didn’t realise that Lara was an accomplished woodworker or had a fully equipped workshop. Has she handled many staffs?Surely Michael Carpenter would be a better choice to help Harry polish his staff? Such a fine upstanding member of the community.

[Mira]

I agree Harry should get some instruction from Rivershoulders and hopefully Listens to Wind can also help.  I hope that Listens to Wind follows through on his promise to explain to Harry more or less what he is and why he is.

[TrueMonk]

So basically you are saying that Lara should help Harry polish his staff? As Harry ...

I have to say that was very well written, showing off without sticking it in the face of the reader and you kept it going suprisingly long.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

It was very, very hard, but the ultmate reward was worth it, and it is fully within canon, I think Jim has a very dirty mind at the subconscious level. Id Jim was responsible for all the bites in PT and BG about how Harry made and modified his staff.

[Arjan]

It was very, very hard, but the ultmate reward was worth it, and it is fully within canon, I think Jim has a very dirty mind at the subconscious level. Id Jim was responsible for all the bites in PT and BG about how Harry made and modified his staff.

Jim already made that joke in skin game:

“I know you’ve been aching to have your hands on my staff,” I said to Ascher, as Nicodemus examined the altar for himself. I held out my hand. “But I’d rather be the one fondling my tool. Wizards are weird like that.”

[Mira]

Jim already made that joke in skin game:

   

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I didn’t say Jim didn’t also have a dirty mind at the conscious level.

[Bad Alias]

I have this weird meta that Harry has a staff and a rod specifically because of the verse "thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me."

It also reminds of a fantasy author, I think it was Rothfuss, listing Moses as one of the archetypal wizards. Depending on the translation, Moses had a staff and Aaron had a rod. Both were involved in miracles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron%27s_rod. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staff_of_Moses. Staves and rods were used as symbols of power and authority, probably because of the Bible, in European history. All these things make it fitting that they would be used as instruments of power in a fantasy series.

[Bacail]

It also reminds of a fantasy author, I think it was Rothfuss, listing Moses as one of the archetypal wizards. Depending on the translation, Moses had a staff and Aaron had a rod. Both were involved in miracles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron%27s_rod. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staff_of_Moses. Staves and rods were used as symbols of power and authority, probably because of the Bible, in European history. All these things make it fitting that they would be used as instruments of power in a fantasy series.

I liked the fact that Elaine made fun of Harry in White Knight for going with the penis centric foci when she was putting on her gear.