Lyrics of a Dregalaran Blade

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Nemain
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:40 pm

Lyrics of a Dregalaran Blade

Post by Nemain » Wed Sep 20, 2017 11:26 am

In Myon's Tower, on one of the bookshelves supervised by Mithreas, lies a brown-leather tome with elegant silver engravings, a leather strap keeps it locked shut, with a silver seal in the form of a long and short sword lying parallel to each other on a disk, their blade tips angled toward the upper left; a quarter moon above the swords while a full moon lies underneath. There's no descirnable way to physically open the book without the aid of magic, though to those versed in the arcane, it'd feel heavily enchanted.

The seal, however, would open to anyone of Elven blood passing their hand over it, welcoming to read the contents within.

There, in the white vellum of its pages, any potential reader would be met with a steady, black calligraphy, all of its text written entirely in Elven. The very first page reads as follows:
To anyone whom may read these pages- please, be aware that this book's contents are written entirely through illusions: do not attempt to dispel this book's wards unless you wish the information within be lost entirely.

Do not attempt to remove this book from the Tower's library, for the wards in it will destroy the information within. This book doubles as personal memories and backup spellbook for the Bladesinger, Liathyra Ilirieth, meant to assist recovery in case of memory loss, identity crisis or destruction of field spellbook- please, do not read save for under explicit permission from Myon's Coronal and Council.

This book and its contents are meant to be read only and solely with the purpose of recovering that which has been lost: information on the Fair City, its inhabitants and customs is, therefore present to some extent... I must ask the reader not to continue should their goal be that of using this information for other goals.
-Liathyra Ilirieth
Last edited by Nemain on Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Nemain
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:40 pm

Re: Lyrics of a Dregalaran Blade

Post by Nemain » Wed Sep 20, 2017 2:59 pm

Preface
Never have I kept a journal before... Spellbooks? Yes. Notebooks with short annotations on different formulae or events I need to write a report to for a superior? Yes. But, for the most part... A journal, a single item that may be read to learn all about my actions, thoughts, acquaintances and glimpses of customs and inner going ons of whichever community I happen to be in... Was a liability.

Too risky: the journal could be stolen, or read in secret by an enemy to The People. I could not, in good conscience, consign my thoughts to anything else than my own mind, for fear that it may be compromised. This threat, has been revealed as inferior to the one everyone faces in Arelith. One's mind is no safe haven: I have witnessed, in the span of the last three months, no less than five different beings who have, at one point or another, been held captive, tortured and enslaved by Dhaerrow.

I have watched with my own eyes, heard with my own ears, a man speak in a broken manner, his ideals and mannerisms sealed away from himself, in a matter of tensdays since his capture. That was, a man the Dhaerrow didn't bother actually using their precious Ithillid poison on, which may force a victim to obey any orders given.

The threat, for anyone venturing outside of the safety of Myon, is not theft of a book, or even death... But capture and being turned into a tool of their tormentors' design. I am, thus, taking steps to avoid this fate myself. This, is one of them: should I be captured, but manage to escape or be freed by friends and allies, time spent reading this tome would be invaluable.

The very last step, if for some reason I should be captured, but recovered in too poor a condition to conceivably assist my People ever again, or ensure with a hundred percent accuracy I haven't been turned into a sleeper agent... I ask the reader to do whatever must be done, for the safety of the Tel'Quessir. Do not allow me travel to Evermeet. Do not allow me into Myon, either. I am Liathyra, Bladesinger and Sentinel of Myon: I shall not be the one to put The People at risk.
-Liathyra Ilirieth
Last edited by Nemain on Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:04 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Nemain
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:40 pm

Re: Lyrics of a Dregalaran Blade

Post by Nemain » Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:15 pm

Oath

I walk in the light but darkness surrounds me;
Mighty are the foes of my people;
I am their shield;

My blood for their blood,
My life for their life;
My sword and I are one;

We will serve our people and The Elven Way.
I have sworn this Oath upon my life;
This day and forever, I name myself Bladesinger.
-Liathyra Ilirieth

Nemain
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:40 pm

Re: Lyrics of a Dregalaran Blade

Post by Nemain » Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:42 pm

Duty
Duty, Honor: the two words that best describe the heart and soul of the Bladesong, and yet... So easily confused and thrown about out of context and meaning by the Younger Races. A Bladesinger's duty is no oppressive yoke one takes upon their shoulders to complete at their own expense 'till the end of their time. 'Tis not a strict set of rules and laws, nor a chain fettering one's hands from specific actions and validation of their standing as an individual... Quite the contrary.

'Tis The People's way to seek and embrace artistry and beauty in whichever craft one takes upon, to master and perfect a skill in ways only our longevity and patience can really make it possible... As well as to seek good upon Tel'Quessir as a race and as nearby individuals we come across. It doesn't take a Bladesinger's oaths for a Tel'Quessir to go to great lengths to aid a member of their community, a friend or kinsman.

What a Bladesinger does, thus, is recognise this truth and embrace it as an intrinsic part of their nature, of the definition of who that Elf is. 'Tis a promise of self-determination, naught but an oath to do exactly as one's distinct sense of right and wrong would have done anyways- for in the decades it takes merely to grasp the basics of the Bladesong, one has the time and presence of mind to think over and realise wether this path is, indeed, theirs to follow or not.

Furthering the Elven ideals, thus, is more than a duty, something every Tel'Quessir seeks by themselves to some extent or another: something that makes sense... And, as one who has sworn herself to this task and way of life, an honor and joy.

But, to fulfill one's Duty to The People is naught but a fundamental requirement to the Bladesinger, to what makes me.... Myself. Extensive training, skill, preparation and the cognitive capability to maintain advanced studies in the High Art while doing all the former are also required. Merely maintaining one's skill to keep it from rusting demands a heavily time-intensive dedication that must be kept in harmony with the requirements of a Bladesinger's duty.

For this reason, I have found that splitting the day's twenty-four hours into blocks of four works best: spend four hours of intensive study, followed by four hours' forth of practice in field patrols. The second and fourth block may be interchanged as needed between further training and any tasks required for Myon or any specific Tel'Quessir, with the fifth block another four hours' worth of study taking into account the day's events. Allow never less than four hours' worth of reverie, during which preparation for the following day's spells and routine may be taken.

Try to squeeze such nuances as meals and gear maintenance all throughout the day as short and methodically as possible, while dealing with something else: time may be something an Elf has in spades, but that's no reason to waste it, when one could better use it to aid one's People in a different way.
-Liathyra Ilirieth
Last edited by Nemain on Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Nemain
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:40 pm

Re: Lyrics of a Dregalaran Blade

Post by Nemain » Sun Sep 24, 2017 4:50 pm

Preparation
Unlike previous pages, this one has been written in proper ink, with a stylised handwriting. The borders of the page are engraved with golden abjuration runes that one knowledgeable in arcana may realise have been inscribed to protect the book from attempts to burn it down.
As any arcanist may well know, preparation is half the battle. 'Tis during the off time, hours to decades prior to an event, that one must take every precaution they can to anticipate and shape it so that the results of it align with their interests, should it ever happen. That is the reason behind this entire tome's existence, and more than anything... It is in the spirit of preparation that I write down these lines I hope I shall never have a need to rely on.

'Tis a Bladesinger's duty to further the needs and goals of Elvenkind. The needs of the many supersede the needs of the few, even if the needs of the few may supersede the comfort of the many... Myon and its rulers, my allies, friends and kin- should they ever need to be stopped, should my sworn enemy one day become the very same people I, today, think my friends and family, I should read and commit to memory the following instructions on how to best slow and disarm each and every one of them in the spirit of allowing capture and rehabilitation. This page should not be read otherwise:

This is an explosive Rune: This is an exploding rune, an exploding rune this is- guess what? It's an exploding rune, that shall go boom as you read it. For, if my People's my future self's enemy, then my future self is my present self's enemy and shall receive a well deserved explosion to the face.

This is an explosive Rune: This is an exploding rune, an exploding rune this is- guess what? It's an exploding rune, that shall go boom as you read it. For, if my People's my future self's enemy, then my future self is my present self's enemy and shall receive a well deserved explosion to the face.

Boom it goes as I read it, and not a single scorch mark's left on the book or table.

This is an explosive Rune: This is an exploding rune, an exploding rune this is- guess what? It's an exploding rune, that shall go boom as you read it. For, if my People's the reader's enemy, then 'tis a filthy spy who's reading this, and shall receive a well deserved explosion to the face.

This is an explosive Rune: This is an exploding rune, an exploding rune this is- guess what? It's an exploding rune, that shall go boom as you read it. For, if my People's the reader's enemy, then 'tis a filthy spy who's reading this, and shall receive a well deserved explosion to the face.

Boom it goes as you read it, and not a single scorch mark's left on the book or table.

This is an explosive Rune: This is an exploding rune, an exploding rune this is- guess what? It's an exploding rune, that shall go boom as you read it. For, if my People's the reader's enemy, then 'tis a filthy spy who's reading this, and shall receive a well deserved explosion to the face.

And guess what? It may not have hurt anyone nearby, but it sure as hell did some noise: you've been caught, you filthy spy, have yet another explosive rune!
You had been warned this tome's contents were -not- meant to be used against my people.
-Liathyra Ilirieth

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