Blackblade's

One of many fighting schools in Absalom, Blackblade's is newer and more successful than than most. It is run by Benkhal Blackblade, a renowned swordsman, mercenary, and one-time member of the Pathfinder Society. Retired for more than a decade, Blackblade runs a general fighting school, where anyone able to pay 5 gp a month can take classes on combat trice a week, and personally tutors students that show special promise. Blackblade himself has trained at fighting houses in Vudra, Tian Xia, and Taldor, making him one of the most versatile warriors in the world. Blackblade's best students often spend time at the school as instructors, and sometimes take on special students themselves. Classes are always held in one of the many yards that surround the building, though private lessons take place in enclosed yards hidden from the eyes of passersby. Unlide some fighting schools, Blackblade's does not house its common students, nor does it have any staff beyond whatever senior students aid Blackblade with teaching duties. Everything that needs to be done at the school, from cleaning to cooking to repairing the walls, is done by Blackblade and his most trusted proteges. Blackblade himself lives in a small cell within the school, and while he does sometimes house guests, once formal classes end at sundown the building shuts its doors and locks its shutters, becoming a small fortress. Drunken song and laughter can often be heard late into the night, but Blackblade himself never shows any detrimental effect from such long celebrations.