‘I must tell you that what I am about to tell you is a myth of Men, one that they jealously and unreasonably hold to, despite the truth. The myth goes like this:
‘One of these Men who allegedly remained, a Loremaster (a silly notion in and of itself, because Men have no magical Lore as we do), began to study the Book of Runes (As you well know, no Man has ever laid eyes on this document). This man (according to the tale) proved to be uncannily adept at grasping the Lore, and he soon discovered a way to circumvent the power inherent in the Lore itself. He accomplished this seemingly impossible task by creating a means of articulation through which great power could be channelled without harming the user. This method of articulation bore the form and appearance of an opaque white stone, which he overlaid with silver, in the shape of a serpent’s head, so that the stone showed only through its “eyes.” This device he called the Vhurd-Aq.
‘He then created a receptacle for the Power itself; a tall staff carved with Runes of Power. To complete this task, he then mounted the stone atop the staff, and took upon himself the title of Wizard.
‘Such might had never before been witnessed by Elves, Dwarves, or Men (a ridiculous claim! In the tale, he practically ruled the Three Peoples as a King. In the tale, the Three Peoples are united, something that has never happened, and will probably never be done. There is not, and has never been, a Three Peoples). The seasons were stopped in their course! (That this had been accomplished by our own Elven Loremasters, without the help or intervention of Men, is beside the point of the tale). The cold, hungry months were gone, seemingly forever. Famine and drought were banished. No tree or leaf was tainted by blight. No one suffered from ill-health. No children were born lame or deformed.