Alright, so, very quickly. I’m still working on chapter 5. I wanted to do some different stuff with it. Stuff I think will work. Furthermore, I will eventually be releasing part 2 of the whole Lion and Dragon thing soonish, too. I just need to think about it some more. You see, Vincent is an important character, but I defined much of his backstory by certain key points and now I have to think about other aspects of his person because I’m exploring other parts of his life. But none of this is what I wanted to talk about! So, I’ve been rewriting my story in the hopes of improving it, yes? Yes! Well, I’ve noticed some things about the originals as I’ve done this, some good, some not so much. So let’s start with the good, eh? When I started out, I was so much more creative and colorful with my wording and expressions. A character didn’t just “say” something nice to someone; they “extolled” them. They didn’t just criticize someone; they “rebuked” them. In the past year and a half, I’ve gotten away from that, and I’d like to get back to it. I like the color and pizzazz of the old style. I was also much more eager to make every word the perfect word for the situation. Not as much so now. Perhaps I could do for a little more of that. I’d also like to get back into “showing” the world more than explaining it. I get very Tolkienesque sometimes, and I just describe the picture rather than demonstrating it. This would be great, if I had the ability to paint the world with words like Tolkien painted Middle Earth. I do not. Now, for the bad. I am a new author. I had only been writing for a couple years before Verbal Realms came about, in college notebooks and stray scraps of paper, and only recreationally, so I wasn’t terribly concerned with the quality of the work. I hadn’t finished more than two chapters of a story, let alone written a book ready to be shared with the real world. Because of that, when I wrote my first chapter of Koeleth, it was a rough, ugly thing. The old chapters don’t flow as well as my newer ones. They’re choppy, hard to chew through, rough around the edges. Lots of little things that could be improved to make them much better. That might not always happen, as you saw with chapter 4, but I’ll be trying. So those are my thoughts, vague and nebulous though they be. With any luck, I can find a happy new medium between my new style and my old. But alas, it will take time. In the meantime, the list of ideas and concepts I’ve formed around Koeleth has grown, and I have big plans. I hope to get away from Tom and Aaron in some of my other stories (worry not, Tom and Aaron are still central to the Chronicles series). Now, I wanted to do something more in the way of bonus content, but I’ve not had much chance, so I whipped up a quick list of Tom’s best weapons, not including the Hardened Tear, the Heartfelt Tear, the River Dragon or any other blades made specifically for him.

Tom’s Favorite Weapons

1. Oathkeeper, Royal Oathkeeper

The Oathkeeper is a stone longsword, most likely cut from quartz or a similar material. It is slightly heavier than metal swords, an attribute that appeals to Tom, but it is just as deadly, if not more so. Sturdy, strong and sharp, it easily cleaves through shields and armor. Though dating back to a time before the formation of modern Koeleth, Tom’s Oathkeeper was well-preserved and worthy of the battlefield. The Royal Oathkeeper is much the same, though generally superior to its fellow Oathkeepers. Once the pearly white symbol of the lord of Earthgift, it now serves as the trusted companion of Mercy’s Mercenary.

Associated Styles: Koeleth Dueling

2. Night and Day

The Night and Day are a pair of Danigiri-style falchions forged by a godsteel smith. The weapons earned their name due to a peculiar trait that is not shared with other godsteel weapons: they are different colors. The majority of godsteel weapons have a curious black luster to them, which is how most people identify them. The Night, however, has a raven color to it, whereas the Day has an opalescent color. The secret behind their peculiar hues is unknown. The perfect balance and razor-sharp edges of the twin blades make them potent tools in Tom’s hands.

Associated Styles: Danagiri Dueling

3. Aegis of the Giant

The Aegis of the Giant is a godsteel shield that houses four godsteel daggers of varying length and style within it. The already weighty shield is made even more heavy by the presence of the daggers, and therefore it is rarely paired with other weapons. Tom forgoes typical shield and sword combat for a purely shield focused style. Thus, the Aegis serves as both weapon and armor. Because Tom is left-handed, he typically uses his right hand for shields instead of his left, but for the sake of the Aegis, he always uses his left hand.

Associated Styles: Unique

4. Earthstar

The Earthstar is a hand-and-a-half cut from a large chunk of diamond. Prized by treasure hunters, warriors and nobles alike, the Earthstar is a masterpiece in every regard. Tom acquires it quite by accident, but uses it to devastating effect. Tom pairs it with another longsword, the Dreamphase, and sweeps the competition away.

Associated Styles: Koeleth Dual Wielding

5. Dreamphase

The Dreamphase is a hand-and-a-half forged from in the Damygli style. What makes it stand out from other Damygli blades is its exceptionally chromatic blade. Its beauty hardly detracts from its deadliness, however, and its light weight is a perfect compliment to its heavier counterpart, the Earthstar.

Associated Styles: Koeleth Dual Wielding