As we suspected, the crystalians appeared before long.
We were not caught off guard. The crystal corruption couldn't be more visible. It had crept across the southern cliff face like ivy. That region of the lakes had long been poisonous. Though Flame Monks can purge themselves of toxins, we had never bothered to investigate the area. The cliff there was concave, and so climbing had been likewise ruled out. Now, we needed to consider both.
Crystalians are not usually aggressive. Or perhaps I should say, they do not leave their territories. To encounter one is to discover a glintstone deposit.
These were different. They did not stand ramrod straight as their kind do. They hunched and let their weapons nearly drag the ash. None among the scholars knew what afflicted them.
Attacking from range would be difficult. We had a few shortbows and arrows left over from the sorcerers' marionettes, but they would be ineffective until the crystalians had been cracked. Glintstone sorcery, derived from the same crystals, would be useless altogether.
The soldiers and especially the knights were eager to show their worth in battle after so long, but only my flamemace was suited to crack crystal flesh. It would be an uphill battle with swords alone, and the creatures' crystal weapons would be sharper than any armor could guard against.
There were some odds and ends around the Academy which could serve as blunt weapons in a pinch, but we needed a better solution. I would leave that to younger minds. As things stood, I alone had the power to truly damage them, and we needed information.
I volunteered to undergo a scouting mission. Perhaps it would help me to find my courage to search the well for my family.
The knights did not wish for me to go alone. Who would teach them in my place if the worst came to pass? The followers of the giants know that shackles take many forms. I would not let them bind me there yet.