The following materials background is derived from the works of Vrylakos on
Eric Noah’s Unofficial 3e News Board. All else is the work of Ed Hastings, aka the Killer Shrike.

Mezzona Water Serpent Blademaster Prestige Class

Mezzona is a city of vipers; crisscrossed by canals, blocked off in districts, lorded over by the elite and the wealthy. Mezzona is also a city of traditions, old blood, and older money; complicated further by internecine connections compounded by nepotism and oft-broken pacts of peace and marriage. The city is ruled by rich Merchant Houses profuse with Princelings and Lords and every native has a House affiliation via birth or marriage and by extension many enemies. Blood Feuds between Houses are common for slights both real and imagined, and a lesser scion of a House can find great pride of place and improvement in station via their skills with a blade. Outsiders need not worry about these intrinsic House rivalries, but instead are fair game to all.

Vendetta is an old, respected, and legally protected right of all that bear a blade. Therefore it is not surprising that the way of the sword permeates this ancient settling. Though there are many fencing schools and house styles studied in this ancient city-state, one style is grudgingly recognized as preeminent by all but the most biased of House duelists: the Mezzona Water Serpent Style. Brought to the city long ago by an outsider who sold his services to the highest bidder and worked for many Houses before founding a non-partisan school to teach his style for a decade until he was slain by one of his own students in a treacherous duel. Taught to students from all the major Houses and most of the minor, it has survived to this day with but slight variations among the Houses. The style is most easily recognized by it’s reliance on sinuous body movements, complex footwork, and confusing feints intended to befuddle the fencers opponent.

The style is popular amongst Rogues and Aristocrats, but has it’s practitioners amongst other professions as well.

Prerequisites
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Feats: Dodge, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Weapon Focus or Finesse: Rapier
Skills: Bluff: 5 Ranks
Abilities: Dex 13+, Int 13+

Hit Die: D8
Skill Points: Int Bonus + 4 / level
Skill List: Balance, Bluff, Gather Information, Jump, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumbling

Class Abilities
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: This prestige class grants no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

The Water Serpent: This style relies on the use of a Rapier in the primary hand. All of the special class abilities and virtual feats listed below are only usable in conjunction with a Rapier wielded in the users primary hand.

The Hypnotic Feint: At 1st level the Mezzoni Blademaster has learned complex and variable weapon feints that befuddle all but the most alert opponents. The Mezzoni Blademaster gains Feinted Attacks as a virtual Feat even if lacking the requisite Bluff Ranks (listed below).

New Feat by Ed Hastings aka Killer Shrike
Feinted Attacks [Fighting Style]
You are adept at fooling melee opponents.
Prerequisite: Expertise, Bluff 10
Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style may attempt to fool his opponent(s); If you successfully use the Feinting in Combat action described on page 64 of the PHB it counts as a free action, otherwise the use of the skill counts as a standard action as normal.

Weave & Sway: At 2nd level the Mezzoni Blademaster has learned to move and sway in a disturbing fashion making it difficult for opponents blades to find purchase. The practitioner gains Defensive Manueverings as a virtual Feat (listed below).

New Feat by Ed Hastings aka Killer Shrike
Defensive Maneuverings [General]
You are skilled at protecting your flanks in melee.
Prerequisite: Dodge, Combat Reflexes
Benefit: You gain a +1 Dodge bonus versus all opponents flanking you unless caught flat-footed. Note that Dodge bonuses stack.

Bonus Feat: The many Houses disagree in their interpretation of the style; thus there is some variation in the intermediary teachings. At 3rd level the Mezzoni Blademaster may select a single Bonus Feat from the following list (this may be mandated by the DM to reflect a particular school or House affiliation): Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Mobility, Power Attack. This is a Bonus Feat, not a virtual Feat and is therefore usable with weapons other than the Rapier.

Entangling Coils: At 4th level the Mezzoni Blademaster has learned to move and sway in a deadly dance with his opponents, shadowing their every move and managing to anticipate their evasions. The Mezzoni Blademaster gains Counter Dodge as a virtual Feat even if lacking the prerequisite Alertness Feat (listed below).

New Feat by Ed Hastings aka Killer Shrike
Counter Dodge [Fighting Style]
You are skilled at reading opponents’ moves and striking where they will be rather than where they are.
Prerequisites: Alertness, Dodge
Benefit: The practitioner gains a +1 competence bonus to hit in melee versus any opponent benefiting from a dodge bonus to their AC. This serves to completely cancel the Dodge Feat and to offset any other dodge bonuses by 1, such as those granted by Expertise and Mobility.

Viper Strike: At 5th level the Mezzoni Blademaster has learned to strike weak spots of their opponent for maximum effect. The practitioner gains Improved Critical: Rapier as a virtual Feat.