…both the blade and handle will change length to make this weapon the equal of a long knife, swords of various sizes, or a 3 m (10 ft) pole arm, all the while remaining nearly weightless and perfectly balanced…

…Even those depicted in the artworks of other species have all been replaced by blank spaces on canvases, gaps in bas-reliefs, and empty lines in songs. Just about everyone on Haven is certain the Rakshasas went extinct during the same magical catastrophe that gave rise to the White Waste.

A warrior who attains vita ngoma ya akili (battle dance mind) is aware of the flow of an entire battle at the same time she notices one minute flaw in an opponent’s defenses, and can anticipate attacks split seconds before they hit.

“I’ve never forgotten my first sight of a faerie Huntsman, clothed in mist and shadow and rune-covered armor, mounted on a horned beast, pointing a spiral-carved spear right at my nine-year-old heart…”