Outside 46

[Earl of Purple]

Isolated Hilltop

A storm brews over this hilltop, thunder rumbling overhead and lightning flashing through the sky as rain pelts down and gale-force winds strip the leaves from the trees. There's a smash and rumble as the tallest tree is struck, bursting into flames which are quickly doused by the heavy rain. A few more strikes hit the edges of the hilltop and nearby trees, though no more strikes create fire.

A final rumble accompanies three simultaneous bolts of lightning, each striking the same central point of the hill. After that, the rain dies down, the clouds quickly dissipate, and there are no more lightning flashes or rumbles of thunder. The burning tree smoulders and smokes, but no flames are visible, and all is still. The storm has gone, leaving only devastation in its wake. Devastation, and a jian sword, eighty centimetres long, is sticking from the ground where the three bolts struck. The sword rests in a bone scabbard, with delicate etchings and carvings along its sides. A black silk tassel hangs from the hilt, passing through a hole in the rounded bronze pommel.

A magical signal is sent throughout the Nexus, to attract the curious, inquisitive and scholarly.