Skyggsvard

The Skyggsvard are an elite group of elven warrior mages who protect all of Vestlegion, and are not devoted to any one particular elf clan. They are chosen from the different clans, or houses, that inhabit the Great Wood. They are built on the bladesinger kit from the Complete Book of Elves. Every ten years, members of the Skyggsvard travel to each of the elf houses in Vestlegion to select young elves who are coming of age as potential members of their order. New initiates are brought back to the Tower of Klingedans #Klingedans and put through an ordeal that tests their intelligence and physical prowess. Those who fail are sent back to their houses. Those that pass, are taken in as Kedelings, which is roughly translated as "dullards" and are instructed in the ways of the blade. After several years of martial instruction, the Kedelings are made Anafabes, or "illiterates", and begin their training in the use of magic in conjunction with their bladed weapons. Anafabes who demonstrate an ability to wield elemental magic while using their blade are placed into one of the elemental sects and made a full member of the Skyggsvard. The members of the Skyggsvard are sorted into four different sects, each housing mages dedicated to the study of magic dervied from one of the four elemental powers; air, earth, water, and fire. Upon acceptance into the house, members of the House of Fire (Brandcasters) are given a finely crafted long sword, with a large ruby in the hilt, and engravings of flame patterns on the blade and guard. Mages who are brought into the House of Water (Vandcasters) are gifted a sword inlaid with freshwater pearls and whose blade is etched with markings that appear to be the ripples on a watery surface. Those elves of the House of Earth (Jordencasters) carry blades with pommels made of opal and deer horn. Their blades take on a look of stone, though they are forged from the finest steel. Finally, the new members initiated into the House of Air (Luftcasters) are presented with swords made almost entirely of clouded quartz. The quartz is mined in the hills near Klingedans Tower and is thought to be harded peices of the sky that fell to earth. The blades are forged only though the forces of magic and are some of the lightest and sharpest blades known to the cilivized races.