Documents and Miscellanea; Part 1

An Excerpt from An Overview of Empirical Candor and Surrounds, a work by Malali Arachi, a woman of Candor, of Irridace.

 

The Verich Coast is an interesting phenomenon in today’s modern world. It is a strip of land with relatively little minable or otherwise exploitable resource existing along the southeast coast of Empirical Candor, and separated from Candor proper by a swath of desert. This leads it to become a relatively self-governed area. The larger cities such as Mericella or Holde tend to oversee not just their own governance, but also the judiciary and other important services for the numerous surrounding small hamlets.

 

Further removing the coast from the central region of Candor is the area’s religion. Unlike the monotheistic worship of the Lord followed rigorously by the majority of Candor, the Verich tend to follow several pagan gods, mostly directing their fervor towards the God of Wind and Water, who they believe blesses sailors and people of the shorelines with good winds and close-knit communities.

 

The majority of the area’s income is sourced from the sea: whale oil, seafood, and salt are all exported to Candor Proper, further inland. The land there is also more suited to the growth of certain watery crops, such as zucchini or squash, than anywhere else in the known world. While hard to transport, these foods nevertheless attract certain buyers.

 

Other authors, more versed in the use of runes, have noted the distinct lack of the use of certain runes in the area (such as Motion or Combustion), but that is outside of my expertise.

 

What remains within my experience, however, are matters of a military nature. Due to the fragmented nature of the Coast’s governance, it has a non-existent standing force of men. If Jaari makes a move against Empirical Candor, they will attack the Verich Coast first if their strategists have half a brain. The results of such an attack could be inconceivable…

 

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An excerpt from Intercontinental Relations: A Study of Trade and Hostility over the Vient Sea, a work by Siwerd Kuul, a man of Candor, of Mericella.

 

Historically, Candor and Jaari have always been at each other’s throats. Jaari have always been jealous of our superior runic technology, and often we Candorians have felt that the white-skinned Jaari are unfairly hostile towards us. However, this is anything but an apt analysis. Empirical Candor spread across the Erothean continent like wildfire, or, as some would have it, like a virulent disease, assimilating many countries under the rule of the Godly Council. We are a fragmented, fractal people; races within vaguely remembered tribes within old noble houses, transcending and preceding the idea of any empire. To examine our relationship with Jaari, which is an older country than even those that Candor has brought together, we must first examine our own history, and the origins of our empire " and also our religious practices.

In her writings regarding the origin of Imperialism within the Erothean continent, and the emergence of monotheism, Kira Silveen discusses the evidence for a nomadic group of aggressive, disorganized barbarian warriors as constituting the very first emergence of the Candorian race as we know it today " not, of course, that they called themselves Candorian. In fact, this particular tribe worshipped several pagan gods, such a god of fertility called Cerelus, and a God of sailing known only as Wind and Water. In fact, monotheism didn’t appear in any form within Erothea for at least a further century…

 

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The earliest verifiable piece of writing from the northern reaches of Erothea, translated and studied in-depth by Tellin Naral, a man of Candor, of Holde.

 

 

Little thing upon the wind

Tell me where I have sinned

Make me know my destined soul

Flaw and nail as I rescind

 

Little thing upon the wind

Teach me before I die.

 

Big mother above the sky

Sketched upon the airs and sighs

You body just a lie

And your mind gone awry

Big mother above the sky

Teach me a piece of truth

Great embodiment of youth

Learn the way of nail and tooth... 

At this point, the vellum is too worn to make out the letters, though the Old Jaari word for Bond or Relationship appears at least 3 times later in the script.