Furlano Liberi

Furlano Liberi or Fiore Furlano Liberi was a North-Western Swordmaster and practitioner of the combat arts who is known for his revolutionizing of the art of the Longsword. His greatest accomplishment was the creation of his famed manual "The Flower of Battle" which described in great detail his knowledge and forms.

Currently, there are a number of schools in Libitina which claim descendency from his original school. These schools are highly regarded and some of the lands best swordsman and Swordsmasters come from these academies.

History
Liberi was raised in the North Western portion of Libitina called The Central Lands. His father was a lower level nobleman but spared no expense in giving his son Furlano the best education he could. Furlano at one point explained that his only interest in writing, reading, and education was so that he might study the treatises and manuals of the great swordmasters, who he idolized as a child. His family was loyal to the city-state of Axia; specifically The House of Milliard who had a wide diplomatic presence in the city.

At the time, swordplay was also a sport maintained by the upper classes during times of peace, and Liberi would have been exposed to it at a young age. Most likely, his training in the sword was handled by The Swordmaster of The House of Milliard, whose job would have been to train all men-at-arms, lords, and their children.

For a period of time in his early adulthood, Liberi traveled the city-states learning from various masters and also fighting many duels. His record of combat is not accurately chronicled but it was widely known that he rarely lost a match, potentially even being undefeated.

Later on in life, he began to teach and formed an academy in Pelugia which became highly respected and eventually became too big for Liberi to run himself. Shortly after this period, he founded two more schools, one in Helf, and one in Fondim. When asked why his schools never reached Gant, he replied: "Wysards need only for paper; steel is for those who stand on the earth".

By his later years, his reputation was well known and his style and philosophy of swordplay were one of the dominant schools of thought at the time. Most warriors at the time would have been using some forms or guards from his style, even if unaware of his name or history.

Death
His death is actually a point of contention among historians. Some claim he was struck down in a private duel, and his death made to look like an accident. However, many scholars assert that he passed away from a fever in his home at an older age. The latter is more likely as he spent most of his last years compiling all his knowledge and experience for future generations and at most taught students at his various schools.