Wooden Training Sword

In the village of Bramblemead, children grew up knowing battle. The God Wars hadn't reached them yet, but the priests always knew that the danger was coming. So, children were taught combat in the form of a game.

Carpenters were encouraged to make little wooden swords so that the children could emulate the noble paladins who wandered the village. These soldiers were held up as role models. Young men and women daydreamed through school of taking up those glittering swords and running off to adventure.

These weapons clicked and clacked against one another, seemingly harmless to the adults who watched. But wood in Bramblemead was hardened and preserved by druidic magic, and the damage these swords could deal soon became clear. Injuries were common, bruises and broken bones were the rite of passage of every child.

It was fortunate, perhaps, that these weapons were so painful - because the children of Bramblemead grew up with a better understanding that war is no game.