Talking of masterless men, last week, I was reminded of this poem by Jia Dao, a Chinese poet from the Tang Dynasty.

For ten years I have been polishing this sword;
Its ice-sharp edge has never been put to the test.
Now I am holding it and showing it to you, sir:
Is there anyone suffering from injustice?

It sort of gets you in the mood for a story, right?
Something with action and elegance, maybe?