Story

The wind howls through the narrow mountain pass, carrying a whisper of forgotten tales. Tall, jagged cliffs rise on either side, casting long shadows over the rocky terrain below. Amidst this rugged landscape stands a figure, tall and sturdy, her eyes fixed on the imposing structure carved into the stone before her.

The doors tower above her, a testament to a forgotten civilization that once thrived within these mountains. Carved with intricate runes and symbols, their weathered surfaces whisper of the passage of time and the mysteries that lay beyond. Toad can almost hear the echoes of distant chants and the bustling of long-gone footsteps carried on the wind.

With a steady breath, she presses a weathered hand against the cold stone, feeling the thrum of ancient energy beneath her touch. The doors shudder, as if awakening from a deep slumber, and with a resounding groan, they begin to creak open, revealing a glimpse of what lies within.

Toad steps into the ancient ruin, finding herself standing within a grand hall that stretches far into the distance. Side passages branch out in every direction, some partially collapsed, their once-sturdy structures weakened by the relentless march of ages. Undeterred by the decay and debris, Toad forges ahead, her insatiable curiosity propelling her deeper into the heart of the ruin.

Venturing deeper into the labyrinthine recesses of the ancient structure, she takes in every carving, every decoration adorning the once vibrant halls. She takes great care to understand every detail of these people’s long forgotten culture. Then, at last, she stumbles upon the one thing she has been hoping to discover—an immense hidden library, concealed deep within the fortress.

But the passage of time has not been kind to this great hall of knowledge. The library’s vast shelves, once teeming with bound tomes, now stand as weathered sentinels, their contents ravaged by the relentless march of years. Yet, amid the decay and the faded ink, Toad’s discerning eyes detected a glimmer of hope—a cluster of books, miraculously preserved, their spines still proudly bearing the weight of untold stories.

With a delicate touch, she plucks the first of these treasures from its resting place. The leather cover croaks as she opens the tome, revealing fragile pages. Carefully, she turns the yellowed parchment, her eyes tracing faded ink that contains the wisdom of scholars from ages past. Each word, each sentence, whispers tales long forgotten, waiting patiently to be unveiled once more.

One by one, Toad’s hands sift through the forgotten knowledge, unearthing fragments of history and arcane lore.. She cradles the books close to her chest, knowing that within these fragile pages lie the potential to unlock the mysteries of the past and illuminate the path to the future. With reverence, Toad carefully gathers the salvaged tomes, cherishing the weight of their accumulated knowledge. A gleeful, childlike smile grows on her face, as she whisper to herself: “I think I might need an extension on that vacation.” She laughs to herself, thinking of all the history she’s uncovered on this day.

Though she is none the wiser, days turn to nights as she transcribes each written word carefully into freshly bound books, preserving this ancient wisdom for decades to come. Completing the task she bestowed upon herself, she sets foot into her classroom once again, carrying with her countless stories from a time once unknown.

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Additional Information

Following the merging, Toad would return to craeya and continue her duties as a teacher for the magically inclined. On her days off, she would make sure to explore every corner of the new world she has found herself in. Delving into ruins from the dead kingdom, learning about the storied houses of the fallen empire, or seeing the monuments erected within the aetrian republics.

Though she’s not in touch with most of her former allies, Asger is one she manages to run into at least a couple of times every year. Following Emile’s death, she grew closer to Saphira Gariel, the head of the Gariel dynasty in Craeya.

Roughly 6 years after the merging, Toad decided to retire from her position as a teacher for a multitude of reasons. One being the rumblings of yet another civil war breaking out in Craeya, with multiple factions approaching her and asking for her aid should it come to it. Though, another reason is the amount of forgotten knowledge hidden within these new realms.

Once she left craeya permanently, she devoted herself fully to uncovering the mysteries of the world, to preserve and share what was once thought to be forgotten