Ranger Strength is the bow expertise skill.
Presumably lack of resources limited the selection of 2 handed weapons to just swords; each style type would require a different set of animations (axe / pole arm / hammer could probably be the same, and maybe staff / spear). Maybe that would have just caused problems with different types of attacks doing different damage, etc.
Levers activate something or are required for puzzles. Most have an immediate effect, but there is a set of 4 throughout Broken Valley that all need to be pulled to do something.
There is a book on a pedestal near the globe, if it is what I am thinking of (near the mine).
