The Bone Quills of the Scholar
CW: this article contains a level of gore that some individuals may find disturbing. Reader's discretion is advised.
It is a commonly held belief amongst dedicated followers of Ethera that when Ogar wanted to give his most dedicated followers a means to preserve the knowledge of the Guardians, he crafted five rather legendary writing implements.
The Guardian of Knowledge
"Ogar. A god who literally gave his right hand for learning and scholarship."
Eldeth Cordell, The Common Man's Guide to Astaeria, 1355 A.E.
Ogar is one of the twelve guardians of the The Pantheon of Ethera. He is the partner of Dagda, and a God of knowledge, scholarship and craft.
According to Legend, he was a key player in the downfall of Zenykul and is also considered to be the scribe of the gods, who throughout history has sent divine messages to aid the people of Ethera.
A Divine Gift
Legend says that when Ogar departed the mortal realm for the last time, he knew it would be many generations before his return. It was for this reason that he wanted to give his followers a gift that would preserve the Mother's message, but also symbolise the sacrifices the twelve Guardians have made, and will make for the people of Ethera.
So he severed his right hand at the wrist, the very hand which he used for his divine writing. He then detached, skinned and hollowed out the longer bones of his 4 fingers and thumb, before whittling the tips of each of the bones into the shape of a nib.
He then injected the hollowed bones with the blood drained from his severed flesh.
This 'ink', infused with the immortal power of the Mother, would never go cold, nor clot, nor fade. Therefore, any prose written in its crimson liquid would be preserved forever.
Ogar had created 5 self contained writing implements of the like never seen before, especially considering those rare individuals in Ethera who can write, use only bird quills.
The Bone Quills are said to have been distributed amongst Ogar's most loyal followers, though exactly who these 5 individuals were has been lost to history.
What we do know, however, is that today one is owned by the Church of the Divine Mother, one by the Guild of Scholar's in Bridgeport, and one by the Emperor, as the first Emperor Augustas Malvarro seized the supposed artifact from Duke Tarryn when he conquered the city of Revaelor in 1331 A.E.
The location of the other two quills is still unknown.
Legacy
The only Bone Quill known to still be used for its intended purpose is located in the Guild of Scholars.
Many scrolls have been written with the Bone Quill which the Scholars keep hidden in a secure vault. It is said the Guild are chronicling the important events which have occurred in Astaeria since Ogar departed, in the hopes that on his return they will be of vital importance.
On the first day of the month of Ogarr, scholars celebrate the Guardian of Knowledge through a pilgrimage to the Temple of the Scholar in Bridgeport. On this day, the Bone Quill is displayed on the shrine for everyone to see, though it is heavily guarded and encased in glass.
On the first day of the month of Ogarr, scholars celebrate the Guardian of Knowledge through a pilgrimage to the Temple of the Scholar in Bridgeport. On this day, the Bone Quill is displayed on the shrine for everyone to see, though it is heavily guarded and encased in glass.
Item type
Unique Artifact
Good article! Love the lore on this one. Did the god ever come back? Did he grow his hand back or is it permanently gone? Do members of his church also sever their hands to honor the god? So many questions!
Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak.
Thank you very much for taking the time to comment on my article, I'm glad you enjoyed it! There have been no further, 'recorded' encounters with any of the Guardian's since their exodus somewhere during the 'Great Silence' thousands of years ago. Once summer camp is over I will be writing more about the deities and the lore surrounding them :) I was thinking of adding a section on your last question to the article, there's bound to be some followers who take it to the extreme, so look out for that in future. Given the speed I'm trying to write for Summer Camp I'm largely getting the bare bones down at the moment! But I will add your questions to my list of updates for sure! Thanks again for the feedback :)
Gilly Hartill Fantasy world builder, aspiring author & lover of all things RPG.