Hennigath, Revenith Empire, year 17 of Era V
Good day everyone! I hope you are all doing well. My name is Laeth Attan and I will be among those who will guide you in this Institute. Here you are – a few dozen of the finest young minds of the East assembled in the ancient city in order to master the queen of the academy herself – the study of history. This will by no means be an easy journey! Becoming true scholars will require not only brilliant memory and attention for detail, but also an open mind, perfect logic, and rigor. Before we begin to discuss true issues, let us start the day with a little story…
***
Cerbane, Revenith Empire, year 933 of Era II
The arrival of the first of our people on this continent was a true leap into the unknown, so nobody should be surprised that many legends were born in that period – and equally many misconceptions. I will tell you about one event that can be viewed as both.
Very soon after the arrival, people of the East started to wander towards new lands in Aedilër, and the great mountains in the north were no exception. All journeys in that direction were particularly dangerous – the travellers could not only fall victim to wild animals and harsh weather, but also to hunger – as the mountains offer little food – and, if the tales of the survivors are to be believed, insane Southerner and Westfolk loners that occasionally wander on the trails. Not many were brave enough to even attempt exploration there, and those who did would often return with a head full of stories, but empty hands, so there was no strong incentive to try one’s luck in the wilderness.
There was, however, one rumor that would keep tempting young men to keep trying. A few of the explorers that had returned from the mountains claimed that there was a mysterious gem with magical power stored somewhere in the coldest part of the range. Not much was known about it, as the memories were blurred, and notes were scarce. And yet, it was fascinating for our people, at that time hardly aware of the nature of magic, as they had barely studied it in the Twelve Islands.
Explorers would often get lost in the mountains. But of those who wandered off to find the crystal, none would return. This sparked the people’s imagination, and soon there were dozens of stories about monsters, curses and villains surrounding the fabled gem. To some, this was a good reason to avoid long travel. To others, a new motivation.
As time passed, the Emperor Cantha II himself decided to challenge the superstition surrounding the story. He was strongly invested, and decided to take strong and expensive measures. He employed Raer Atham, the most famous explorer of the time, granting him a large wage in advance and promising even greater wealth if the artifact is found. He also ordered some of the finest soldiers of the imperial army to accompany Raer on his journey.
Many waited for the group’s return with great emotion, perhaps even anxiety. When it still hadn’t returned after three months, people, with the emperor among them, began to become strongly worried. However, almost five months after their departure, Raer returned – with only part of his guards, wounded, frostbitten and malnutritioned himself. His tales dispelled the aura around the crystal, replacing it with perhaps a scarier one. It was not monsters or magic that kept travellers from reaching the gem, but nature itself. To reach the cavern where it was hidden, they had to endure cold hell for days and miles of travel, and the fact that their knowledge of the object’s whereabouts was very rough only added to that.
Nevertheless, they managed to reach their end. A magnificent crystal was brought to the Emperor’s court. He immediately summoned talented scholars and magicians alike to find about the properties of the gem. Unfortunately, what was supposed to bring glory brought disappointment. After days of research and experiments the scholars concluded that the crystal, even though beautiful, had no special property that could be used, and that it was as good for magic as any piece of rock. The Emperor could not accept this. He had invested too much in the journey to announce that what had been found was merely a pretty rock.
Fortunately, he found a solution. A ceremony was organized, and Cantha announced that the crystal had been sent by the god Carthan himself to bless the people of Aedilër with his strength. A few days later, the construction of a great altar began in the temple dedicated to the Twin Gods, and when it had been finished after two years, the crystal was installed in its center. You can see it in Cerbane to this day.
The story was kept secret for centuries, and was only discovered when a librarian found old notes while looking for new material for the Institute, somewhere in the Fourth Era.
And that’s a good place to stop.
Aedilër 