LeRoi Rousse

LeRoi is from the savannas and arid wastes of Vacuo, a part of a small nomadic village that was for the most part cut off from most of the world.  The life was hard and hot, but the nomadic nature of the village kept most of the Grimm at bay.  Combat schools were few and far between in the wastes and so LeRoi was trained amongst the senior members of the village.  There they prized decisiveness, ferocity, and efficiency as there was little room in life for mistakes when they fought both the Grimm and the environment.  Yet there was happiness.  The bleak and desperate plight made each member of the village cherish life rather than flail against the inevitability of death, for what is life but death begun and death a new beginning, and there are other worlds than these.

It was no surprise for LeRoi to venture so far from home, young people often did after they completed their training; yet Syne Academy was far even by the nomad's standards.  It was the ocean that did it, so wide and vast like the desert yet made of life sustaining water.  The outside world was so bizarre from his home that he couldn't help but take in every experience that he could on the way, and while he found everything new and bizarre the new people around him couldn't help but think the same of him.  He was a strange man to them, who would leap at the chance to engage any grim all the while with a wide grin on his face crying out in roaring laughter and drawing others into his manic frenzy.  However strange they found him though, they could not deny his skill with that great black polearm as great sweeping strikes and thunderous thrusts fell among the Grimm.  It was a grand dance between weapon and wielder as he dodged and parried not one step misplaced and not one beat missed.

"On yer feet maggot." Cort growled as he walked back to his mark in the sand.

LeRoi planted the pommel of the training weapon in the sand and hoisted himself up rubbing his side where a great purple bruise would surely form tomorrow.

"Stance." Cort roared as LeRoi brought his left foot forward and pointed the end of the long stick in his hands straight at his trainer, holding it just below waist height.  "Ooh look at him now using pike stance.  What ye afraid of a thumpin' that bad?" the heavy set man mocked as he swung his short club up in front of him in a basic A frame stance.

LeRoi begain moving the tip of the stick in a sharp figure eight pattern as he inched closer to the man, smug nonchalance all around him.  As LeRoi just stepped into range the arc of the figure eight became a strong cross strike to Cort's off hand hip.  Yet the wily old trainer saw this coming and did a quickstep behind and in to catch the haft portion of the training weapon with his off hand and pull him in to deliver another sound thwack.

"Again." LeRoi coughed though smiling teeth catching his breath and righting himself once again.  The old trainer just snorted and took his place once more.  This time LeRoi left his left hand down at hip level and raised his right above his head bringing his weapon diagonally in front of him with the tip pointing down.

"Fools guard.  Well it be fitting for someone like you." Cort barked as he once again brought his weapon up to a basic A frame.

This time LeRoi had to get much closer to Cort if he wanted to attack but the fool's guard had other advantages.  As LeRoi closed Cort came in with a strong high cross; with a quick step back and a  short rowing motion the strike was parried and he was out of Cort's range again.  This time LeRoi flicked the tip of his weapon up as if to catch between Cort's legs, but as Cort brought his weapon  low and parallel to pin LeRoi's weapon the ground, the tip of the training weapon danced back down and around to Cort's off hand side, pulling back and thrusting catching the man high in the chest.

There was a moment of silence as Cort righted himself and caught his breath, scowl on his face as he approached his student.  Once within arm's reach his teacher's face cracked into a roaring guffaw as he clapped LeRoi across the shoulders in salute.