Radasanth's great library towered over neighboring buildings, its stone girth casting a long shadow in the mid-afternoon sun. Intricate masonry around the main entrance detailed the heads of lions and tigers and scaly dragons. The entry hall boasted a floor of well swept marble, with pillars holding up the lofty ceilings and paintings displayed on the walls. Inside the library proper felt much more cramped; large shelves lined the walls and created neat aisles across the many rooms. Well stuffed armchairs occupied free space between the shelves, and in one particular chair beside a west-facing stained glass window sat a young half elf. He wore green sifan clothing and a floppy canvas cap, and had a black silk scarf knotted around his neck.
Jacob Narmolanya removed his cap to scratch his head, unruly dirty blond locks spilling free. The half elf sneezed for the third time in thirty minutes. The whole bloody library smelled like dust, and the odor had grown stronger and more abrasive when he opened the heavy leather bound volume on his lap. Jake disliked being inside, and even more so disliked poring over ancient texts. But he saw no other option, for a mystery had caught his interest, and with nothing better to do Jake followed the clues headfirst.
Since leaving Underwood he'd felt somewhat aimless. In the woodland city he'd barely had a moment to himself, between his duties to the Town Watch and his training under Joshua "Breaker" Cronen. But Breaker had departed Underwood in search of greater things, and Jake could think of no better path than to follow in his mentor's footsteps. He'd journeyed to Radasanth and fought a couple duels in the Citadel, but soon even the legendary battleground became boring to the half elf. He wanted adventure. He wanted action. He wanted romance as well, but tended to get tongue-tied around pretty girls so he decided to stick with the first two.
And then he'd heard tell of the Crystal Swords. A bevvy of rumors had circulated among the taverns Jake frequented, speaking of the ancient, magical blades made from crystal pulled from deep within the Twilight Mountains. Enchanted by elves and forged by dwarfs, the swords had sat in a vault in Alerar until mysteriously disappearing following a great battle. Jake turned a page, holding his breath for a moment so as not to inhale more dust. The volume in his lap was written by an Alerian scholar who had an obsession with the Dragon Blade, also called the Wood Blade. Of all the Crystal Swords, the Dragon had piqued Jake's interest. He had grown up in Concordia, living among the trees, and felt a natural affinity for woods. He was confused as to exactly how the blade could be wood, especially since the book seemed certain the sword was forged from steel.
Jake took a deep, calming breath and instantly regretted it as he sneezed violently. The half elf pulled a handkerchief from a pocket in his sifan jacket and blew his nose noisily, drawing glares from other library goers. He put the handkerchief away sheepishly and closed the volume carefully. He had skimmed through what he hoped were the important parts and actually read the entire final chapter, where the author posited that the Dragon Blade had never ventured far from its birthplace in the Twilight Mountains.
The half elf heaved to his feet and lugged the heavy volume back to its proper place on the shelf, his leather boots whispering across the marble floor. He'd been in the library for the better part of an hour, and that felt like enough bloody research. Jake had never hunted down a hidden sword before, but he had hunted many demons in his young lifetime, and his experience taught him that the best way to find something was to look. He would need to journey to Alerar first though, and for that he would need....
"Pardon me," Jake said, stopping at the long oaken desk that sat beside the entryway, "do you have any recent drawings of Ettermire?"
Submit Thread for Judgment
