Southwest of the Upper Dragonbacks
Approx. Year -4000, TSR

"So, uhh, basically you've been hiding out in the mountains for weeks and only have half-ideas and suggestions as to what problem was so great that Arasus would have summoned me to wake the Dragonbacks. That seems quite pretentious of him. Was he pretentious, Sir Whiteblade?"

Whiteblade glared at the grey-haired man, who had identified himself only with the curious name of "Mentor," claiming that was name enough for anyone. He had questioned him so thoroughly and endlessly that Whiteblade had grown exhausted. He had never spoken so much in his life, nor been so frequently interrupted.

"Ah well, that's alright my friend. You've told me quite enough. Fortunately, I think I know what's going on. I should have known a long time ago, but I think my mind didn't want to believe it. Shadow Darkshroud must be the prophecied one. They're silly things prophecies. Some book travels through time and starts to develop very odd behaviors -- that's where it comes from, did you know? Well, they get screwed up in the process and are seldom reliable after all that temporal wear and tear. Hard as hell to read in the first place.
"Really, it makes you wonder what sorts of things happen to us when we start moving around in the timestream, eh? Fortunately, I know what we're looking for. Unfortunately, it's a book of prophecy. That means we're going to have to find the original and find some way to get it back to my pupil, Sara, in our time."

There were a few minutes of silence, and then Whiteblade spoke, his tone a little hoarse, Say. Why haven't I seen any people? This plain should be heavily inhabited. I know exactly where we are. We should be in the middle of Elkin Village. He paused, then shuddered. Have they all been destroyed?

"Not quite, friend, not quite. They haven't been born yet. Nobody will be on this plane for a couple hundred more years."

What year IS this?

"Oh, it's hard to be certain, but it should be around year -4000, Talismanian Reckoning. I'm a scholar of prophecy, actually, and the book we're looking for should be here by now, hidden somewhere. The abscence of people should make it easier for me to detect it. At this young stage, the world has a fairly simple magical, err, signature of sorts. Though it's still notably more complicated than most other I've visited."

Whatever you say, old man. What's in this book, anyway. If I understand you right, we're looking for the original version. That would mean it's not actually a book of prophecy, right? Since it hasn't travelled through time.

"I suppose that's right. Actually, this one's even more odd than most. I don't really know how to explain it. I can tell you what's in it though. It's called the Häs Naledák, and it's all about Shadow. The prospect of reading it is really exciting to me, in case you couldn't tell."

It's written about Shadow? Then...does that mean he's here? I didn't think he'd been born yet. I don't remember him being that old. If he's here, then maybe we should be somewhere else, book or no book! Anyway, I thought you said this place was uninhabited.

"Well, Shadow's actually very very old, though he may not even realize that himself. Yes, he exists in this time, but I doubt he's here yet. I tried to take us far enough back that he wouldn't be able to interfere. Of course, there's always the chance that he'll get into the rift and come after us, but I've already done everything I can do about that, so I don't see any reason to worry.

"Come on, Sir Whiteblade, I'm starting to get a sense of the book!"