The Vaults: - An Archive of Myths, Legends and Scholarly Works

Welcome to the Vaults good Scholar. Within these walls you will find many works upon the wonders of Xenos. I bid you brows the texts with care because once something is read it cannon be unread.

Lexicographical notes:

These are excerpts from 'Searching for the Candle: A Factual Treaties on the White Knights from the Myths and Legends of the Elder Races of Xenos.'  by Magitrix Blodwin Grobb, Court Mage and Research Scholar writing some 400 years after the defeat of the Ancients.

Other works of the time and from later era's describe Blodwin as a Magician of great skill, it is unfortunate that this skill did not transfer over into her writings on history and Folk Lore.  It is even more unfortunate that it is these that survive rather than her many and extensive works on Magical Theory and Philosophy.  The few texts and scraps of writings remaining in existence today whilst containing a few Gems of incite and historical note mostly contain whimsical ramblings and occasionally down right ludicrous statements and theories


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Both of the Elder races still in existence whilst vastly different in character and temperament share one thing in common.  Myths and Legends of Unknown Heroes who appear from nowhere at times of strife only to disappear once more when the dust settles.  Most often these Mythic Heroes are described as being of Dwarven or Elven lineage. But some tales speak of Tattooed Mages, Scale-skinned Warriors and Heroes who shine like burnished gold.  It does not take a great leap of intelligence to ascribe these tales to being of members of the now extinct Elder Races.  In fact I once had the opportunity and honour to briefly study a truly ancient tomb of  Ethequendi origin during a visit to the Green Court.  It is sad to say that I understood little of the faded writing but within it was an image of an Ambassadorial visit to the court of a long dead Elven ruler. Blue Skinned Warriors could be seen marching out of the waters or the ocean, each with tiny scales depicted on their hands and faces.   Despite its great age the inks still shone as bright as the day brush was laid to velum...


[b]…

Below I have transcribed a traditional Elven Folk Dirge I had the pleasure to hear sung once when passing through one of their villages at Midwinter.

The Stranger was a Dwarven Knight.
Of him the harpers sing this night.
He fought to keep us fair and free,
Him from the Mountain, us from the Tree.

His axe was strong, its blade was keen,
His shining helm afar was seen,
The countless stars of heaven’s field,
Were mirrored in his silver shield.

But long ago he strode away,
And where he dwelth none can say,
Against the darkness he shone a star,
A Beacon where the shadows are.

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...not always survive.  In fact may of the stories end with the death of the Hero, but always they have either given survivor's time enough to escape, laid their lives down for another, inspired greatness from others or a number of other variations on the themes of True Heroism.

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I will be the Shield who Guards the Path.
I will be the Fortress who Defends the Home.
I will be the Gauntlet who scatters the Ashes

I shall cast back the Darkness with Pure Fires Eternal

I will be the Torch who Shows the Path.
I will be the Lantern who Guides the way Home.

When the Light is pressed,
I will be the Lance,
A Pure strike at the heart of Darkness
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...themes of Hope, Light...

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It should be noted that many of the qualities and abilities attributed to these mythical figures are similar to those of the Ordo's Militant of the Churches.  Though reference is hardly ever made to Gods, tenets or symbols of faith that are always heavily associated with such religious tales.  In fact only three of the tales I have collected ever speak of the Gods directly.  One is in a tale of a Hero I believe to be from the Norn Elder Race appearing to help members of the Aurikai Elder Race who were on a pilgrimage to a Sun King tempt fight off Were-beasts who were attacking them.  Another is of a 'Grey Knight' appearing to fight beside a small band of Wind Speaker Paladins defend a Chapel besieged by Undead abominations.  In this story the Grey Knight and all but one of the Paladins is slain in the defence.  But strangely whilst the tale tells of the funerals of the Paladins and sings their praises to the Wind Speaker the Grey Knight is given a simple Pyre.  And the last is of a person known only as 'The Argent' who rallied together a group of scared and beaten Villagers to rescue the village's Cleric from a Blood Cult.

It is strange, all of these tales seem to suggest that these knights where known of and tolerated if not revered by the Religious orders.  I have applied to all of the various Ordo's Militant and Ordo's Clerical of all of the churches for permission to search their archives with regards to this matter.  But every single one has polity turned me down or flat out refused.  What this means I...

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“Most people have a full measure of life and most people just watch it slowly drip away. But if you can summon it all up at one time in one place you can accomplish something glorious.”
Line attributed to character of 'The Silver Knight' in a Dwarven Mummers play of the same name.

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