The Book of Knives
Description
The Book of Knives was written by a burglar of great renown -- she is even said to have retrieved the choicest gem of a horde from beneath the grasping claw of a sleeping dragon -- but her true name remains unknown and many doubt the veracity of her most outlandish exploits. Nevertheless, she was acknowledged as one of the finest knife-fighters in Middle-Earth during her time.
The Book of Knives is sadly incomplete, and little can be learned from its cryptic writings. The famous burglar Bilbo Baggins is known for his love of riddles and mysteries -- perhaps he might be able to shed some light on this text?
Objective #1
Get The Book of Knives
Objective #2
Talk to Bilbo Baggins at the Last Homely House in Rivendell.
Objective #3
At least two copies of this book are believed to have been lost - one somewhere within the Ram Dúath and the other in the North Western reaches of the Trollshaws.
The Book of Knives, page 3
A section of the introduction, this page suggests that the author was neither modest nor the type to shy from a fight. She was apparently overly fond of causing trouble at inns throughout Eriador, sometimes going so far as to cheat openly at dice in order to provoke a fight.
The Book of Knives, page 5
This page describes some of the author's favourite knives. It seems that she had an Elf-smith make blades for her as custom pieces which she particularly preferred for their speed and edge. She must have treated them rather roughly, given the sheer number of knives she describes in loving detail.
Book of Knives, page 12
The author appears to have preferred combat with an unusual level of intensity compared to what one might expect of a burglar. The style she describes emphasises a degree of closure and commitment to finishing a fight quickly rather than the furtive hit-and-run tactics that one commonly associates with the profession.
Book of Knives, page 17
It is clear from the context of this page that the author preferred to work alone, without companions. This perhaps explains her dedication to the art of in-fighting and an emphasis on finishing fights up close and as quickly as possible. She likely had few friends or companions to fall back on in times of danger.
Book of Knives, page 18
This page is difficult to follow as it is covered with sketchy diagrams as well as scrawled text. It seems to be trying to describe some complex movement of the body, but the author was not much of an artist.
Nevertheless, it does hint at some intruiging ideas you would like to try out....
Book of Knives, page 23
This page does not seem to have much to do with knife fighting.
The author seems to have wandered into a rambling recollection of one of her more hair-raising exploits, the details of which are both quite bawdy, and rather too dramatic and unlikely to be an entirely honest account....
Book of Knives, page 26
A page of painstakingly inked lines and diagrams. It must be describing a particular set of motions.
Unfortunately, the notes in the margins of the page are impossible to make out, leaving you to do a great deal of guesswork as to what motions this complex web of lines might actually be trying to depict.
Book of Knives, page 31
This page is a recap of much of what has been described before, but it is surprisingly concise and clear compared to most of what came before, drawing a number of important lines between the stylistic points that she has made previously. Either the author recieved some editorial assistance with this section, or perhaps she was just sober during its writing.
In any case, it is an invaluable guide to sorting out the mismatched notes throughout the rest of the book.
Rewards
4,042 xp