Personal note

I have spent my life in the service of preservation, education and research in the fields of history and culture. I have spent my life for what I see as a greater good, to educate my fellow citizens on the truths about our nation's past. With age however, I have started to feel that I have failed, or perhaps that I was meant to fail. I do not mean this in a mean or conspiratorial sense, but in a wider, abstract sense.

There are only so many needs a researcher can cater to at one time, only so many narratives that one curator can present at one time. There is too much for a single woman to hope to achieve in a single lifespan. It is true that I have disciples, students and colleagues, but each handoff is necessarily incomplete, it comes with frayed edges. There will always be thoughts and knowledge that the teacher will not be able to carry on to their student. So much of what we do is not written down, so many of the connections and conclusions only exist in our minds.

I do not have the time to explain all of my notes. To go through all my half finished projects and jotted down realizations, there is too much to tell and too little time. Nonetheless, as I approach my final years, I have chosen to gather all the readable notes in one place, which may then be available to the public.

I wish to begin pretending that some entries are not nearly as thoroughly researched as I wish that they were, and much of it is still very much conjecture. I have chosen to forgo a chronological order to my discoveries, instead going from topic to topic as it works narratively. 

I have tried to focus these topics under History, Culture and Faith, but as any good historian knows, this is far from separate topics. I have also added some appendices regarding my notes on species physiology and history as pertaining to historical events. I hope to be able to present this in a somewhat logical order, and I endeavor not to self censor myself, and let my unfinished work, remain unfinished, without apology.

On history and its pitfalls

There are many problems that plague our profession, bureaucracy, secrecy, loss of knowledge. All of them have been obstacles that I have had to fight against for my entire career, and I am afraid that you need to go through them as well. As a result do I find it prudent to start with describing these issues early. I know that much of this will be redacted, but I have my ways to get these texts out there. I am afraid you will need to do some digging of your own, if you pardon the pun, in order to find the snippets that did not make it into this text.

Dragons and the before times

There is precious little left of the times before the Elves, of the times where the dragons ruled the lands, the most reliable information on the topic is On Kobold History by the historian Frensis Mortes. He has managed to get as clear of an image that anyone can from these times. Much of what is known is jealously guarded by the elder Kobold tribes. We must not disdain the Kobolds for this practice, for their memory runs deep, and the last time they opened the doors to their innermost secrets, their cultures were almost wiped out completely. For my Kobold readers, this is common knowledge, and you know much more than me why the secrets that are kept, must be kept secret.

It is also vital that a researcher note the difference between the Kobold view of Dragons, and those of many of the other cultures of Landhurst. Having no cultural memory of these old and grand beings, we can only learn about them through the scars that they left behind, and to speak frankly, they tell a fearsome and terrible tale. So my advice is, if you are not a Kobold, or of the Faith, thread lightly, and as always show humility and respect for those secrets that are not meant for you.

Elves and lies

I will not be nearly as forgiving or candied when it comes to the research of the elves. Yes, the elven lords were brutal tyrants that forced all around them into a state of serfdom, often ruling from behind the scenes, and pitted what they saw as the lesser races against each other. With this said, is it vital that we as a nation acknowledge that the Elven system of rule could not have functioned without help from these so-called lesser races. There is plenty of proof that they had assistants, willing or not in almost every culture and group in modern Landurst.

There is, as a result, a great need and interest in making sure that your family, organization or guild do not carry the shameful stink of Elven sympathiser. Much talk has been made about the soulchained, and their effects of our modern day nation. Here even I falter in my damnation, for I know all too well that there are names that should, can not be said out loud, and there are some punishments that even death can not help you escape from. My advice, walk carefully, write discreetly, if you sense danger, run!

The Guilds

There is a saying, that a historian's time is mostly spent in the library. I am afraid to say that even more time will be spent fighting the bureaucrats and lawyers of the many guilds. The guilds are very interested in keeping their professional secrets secret. They are also very interested in making sure that the many crimes, lies and corruption are not let out to the general public. Unlike the secrets of olden wars, and Elven conspiracies these secrets will not be hard to find, but you must fight all the harder to keep them from remaining buried.

If you are to study modern history, the question of the guilds and their depiction is not something that you can avoid. You must depict them, the only question is, how much pain, how much financial and emotional hardness are you willing to go through to get the truth out there. You can choose to follow the guild lines, I can not judge you, I did the same. I played along with the guilds narratives, and in return got access to the deepest depositories of Guild records available. Sometimes it's worth making such a deal, but remember, a deal does not need to last forever, and there are always ways to publish your work, other than Bookbinder street.