Petranaki

This is the ritualistic form of arena-based martial arts that was developed by the Geonosian race. It centered on the use of specialized weaponry - known as the petranaki array - which changed very little over the course of Geonosian history. It was believed that petranaki was based on Geonosian mythology, in which ancient hive overlords became angry at the incredible loss of life that occurred during the wars between rival hives. These overlords, who were giants compared to modern Geonosians, fought against each other in single combat on the surface of Geonosis. In this way, entire hives were not sacrificed in battle, but the overlords could determine who was the strongest among them.

In modern times Petranaki has been developed into more of a sport. Warriors battle in the Petranaki arena for the entertainment of the masses, and it is taught to the young as a means of getting them used to combat and to maintain fitness. It is not seen on the battlefield as it once was due to the infiltration of modern weaponry into the Geonosian arsenal. A bronze shield has no place on the field of battle with blasters and sonic weapons.

Petranaki was also the term used by the Geonosians to describe the gladiator fights that were used to settle disputes. Based on ancient tradition, it allowed an individual of a lesser caste to win their way to fame or redemption, this tradition was broken by Hadiss the Vaulted who used it as a way to dispose of his enemies and in fact any being that opposed him.

Stance

As the upper caste of geonosians is capable of flight, and petranaki was developed for use solely by them, no official stance has been developed. It should be noted however that during the brief time when the lower castes were allowed to study petranaki they did develop their own stance. The body is slightly angled towards the opponent, the forward foot is pointed out and the rear foot is at a perfect ninety degree angle to the forward foot. The body is slightly drawn in so the tailbone is even with the neck and spine, and weight is proportioned 60% - 40% front to back. This gives the practitioner a nice solid base to attack or defend from.

Strikes

All striking is done with the weapons found in the petranaki array. Most strikes come from the shoulder of the practitioner in a whipping motion that channels the energy from the center of the warrior out to the end of the weapon. The only exceptions to this are the caster’s net and the confessor’s whip.

Defense

The petranaki array is usually utilized in the defense of a practitioner, particularly the beastwarden’s shield and the caster’s net. As a practitioner is usually wielding one or more weapons there are no set hand-to-hand defensive techniques. Instead a series of disarming techniques was developed as it is believed that if your opponent cannot harm you then you have won. Many warriors were shocked when more than one “defeated” prisoner or slave kept fighting despite having no weapon.

Movement

Most practitioners of petranaki utilize their natural flight ability to dart in and out of weapons range and to weave their way around an opponent. For those practitioners who are grounded movement is usually kept in a circular pattern with little variation.

Training

Petranaki is taught to geonosian males from a young age in hive schools. While there is a single formal standard for petranaki each hive has its own variations. Advanced techniques are taught in the geonosian military, and even though it is not often utilized in battle there is rumored to be a series of elite petraki or petranaki attack patterns that are taught to the best warriors of each hive.

Weapons

Weapons - The Petranaki Array:

Picador's Spear: The picador's spear was essentially a static pike with a piercing tip, and was usually thrust at an opponent rather than thrown. Often, the picador's spear was equipped with a small power source to create an electric charge, which was useful in stunning an opponent.

Confessor's Whip: This three-tailed whip was used to debilitate an opponent, as its barbed tips were often coated with a nerve toxin. The toxin entered the bloodstream of an opponent through the vicious lacerations caused by the barbs, where it temporarily slowed the opponent's reflexes.

Petranaki Scimitar: The petranaki scimitar was a simple, curved blade, which was honed to razor-sharpness. It was generally considered the most useful and popular of the weapons in the petranaki array. Some warriors referred to this weapon as the butcher's scimitar.

Caster's Net: A difficult weapon to use, the caster's net was essentially a fine-mesh webbing that was formed into a large circle. Fine threads of electricity-conducting material were woven into the webbing, and were activated by a dead-man switch held by the wielder. A trailing rope allowed the user to draw the net tighter around the target, providing more contact for the electrical threads. The stunning shock that was delivered when the dead-man switch was dropped often resulted in an opponent being instantly immobilized. However, throwing the caster's net required a great deal of practice and skill, so most Geonosian warriors often overlooked it.

Beastwarden's Shield: The shield was made from a bronze disk that would normally have been considered a defensive tool, but a series of sharp spikes along its outer edge made it a formidable weapon as well. Many Geonosians flung the beastwarden's shield with a spinning motion, an action that often led to severe lacerations to their opponent.

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Level: Advanced

Prerequisites: Kartranin 3, Hapan 3, CON 18

Style: Hard

Weapons: Petranaki Array

• • Basic Strike, Basic Throw, Impale
• •• Grapple, Feigning Strike, Charge Attack
• ••• Capture, Hand/Weapon 2 Strike Combo, Extremity Lock, Weapon Lock
• •••• Joint Manipulation, Disarm, Weapon Snare (Whip only), Shield Bash
• ••••• Lure, Six Strike Entrapment Combo, Prolonged Agony , Aerial Piledriver, Clipped Wings