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Lillini's letter home to Corona:
When I was walking the streets of Hydlaa a short time ago I met a StoneHammer. A very nice, honestly warm StoneHammer. When I met him he was telling a story about a Ynnwn that had pinned him "up by his shirt threads" he said. I chuckle even now at the memory of the excited StoneHammer. He had an unusual tattoo on his forehead such the like as I'd never seen before. He said the Ynnwn was quite forcefully pointing to the tattoo and asking a lot of questions about an axe. The story was very exciting and interesting, and the StoneHammer bought everyone a round of drinks at the StoneHead! Very lively. If you ever meet this StoneHammer, whose name escapes me now, you will know him by his tattoo, shaped like Pterosaurs in flight.
Several days after the encounter with the StoneHammer, I met Kalypson. At first the Ynnwn seemed surly and possibly mean! He was training with Vladovic in Ojaveda when we met so was likely just busy and distracted. Nonetheless, he made me quite nervous at first. For certain he was at least, well... very dark and pained. We spoke only briefly in passing initially, but, he said something about an Opal-eye, and this I remembered clearly from the StoneHammers story... the StoneHammer had said that the Ynnwn had pointed to his tattoo and asked many questions about the whereabouts of the axe, the opal-eye and the pterosaur... well... when I heard Kalypson speak of the Opal-eye in our first meeting I was, as I noted, a bit frightened of him and I did not pursue the matter. Some time passed, but I saw Kalypson again in Brado's. I'd had a Red Liquor nearly drained, so... I approached him. Over confident perhaps due to the alcohols strength, I asked him to tell me about the Opal-eye.
Kalypson stood quietly, towering above everyone in the room. He looked around carefully and then leaned down to the table where I had come to sit. Without sitting then himself right away he looked me quietly in the eye, scaring me to perfect stillness. He spoke lowly while watching others in the tavern carefully. He rarely looked directly at me as he spoke. What he told me chilled my bones... Kalypson relayed a tale of an aging StoneHammer woman who had found him laying in a pit of mud mixed with his own blood; his wounds were of great depth. Using a powerful strength spell, she lifted his limp body from the muck and took him home on her mining cart. It took a long time, but she nursed him back to health. As she healed Kalypson, she told him how she'd seen him fall in a battle shrouded in dark clouds of magic. That his swords alone had blazed with an unusual crystalline light that pierced the cloud and cut many wounds into his foes. Unfortunately, the darkness overtook him in the battles end. Elleay Comare, the StoneHammer of a great age, continued to speak with him as he healed, telling him that she had the vision as he fell that she had not had in ages. She saw the Axe, it was near, and it could help him to regain his soul; it would free him from his darkness... Kalypson said, he knew then that "his true self was not far away."
Elleay told the Kalypson that the Axe of StoneHammer lore, a legend perhaps to many, was actually real. That the guardians of this axe, their having it safe and putting it in the crystal light would shed clarity of true self and strengths yet unknown to us.
Finally Kalypson sat at the table, and I was shocked that he began to cry after telling me most of his tale. He then shared that he'd once been a Crystal Way mage, but, the guild wars in his land had torn this beauty from him. Much like my Klyros village home has lost its depth of knowledge about the magicks of all the ways. I felt his pain... and I listened on.
I learned with time that the Axe he seeks is called the "Opal-eyed Axe of the Pterosaur." The old StoneHammer woman gave Kalypson a special Opal. It flashes with the light of all gems. Kalypson protects the Opal for Elleay now. He stays close to her as much as he can to protect her and to learn more. Her caverns are rich with gems and articles of many kinds. He reads, trains, strengthens his body daily to one day become the Axe protector. Elleay and Kalypson together began to invite others to join their search and together they have taken a vow as a Guild.
After learning this tale and, as I personally do believe in the power of the magicks for good and light, I joined as well. Opalescence.
It was a very personal and difficult decision to leave my previous guild, but, I had felt alone for some time... and, the magic of the Axe has drawn me in.
Do not worry that I will be distracted, my studies with Levrus continue (though I have heard some disturbing news of dark magicks resurgence and Levrus possibly being involved). I continue to trust him, I must, I know our village needs these magicks returned. I train hard and think of you all often.
Love
Lillini
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