Tag: expedition

#Lore24 – Entry #344 – Sci-Fi Month IV #9 – A Growing Discontent

Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum

AG:  “Ah, yes, of course I understand what you’re getting at.  Our passion gives us purpose.  So you would focus most of your time on your studies of the ancient dragons and their ruins once some stability had come.  Were there any particular challenges you faced, aside from just finding the sites and relics you studied?”

RV:  “Plenty of them.  Competition, of course, was always an issue.  Treasure hunters were always looking for a profit, and while I was certainly willing to pay exorbitant amounts, they would not always seek me first, and sometimes relics would go to what I will generously call my rivals.  Eventually I would get what was due to me, though, through whatever means I may have had to take.  I believe it was during this period that I first recall having assassins sent after me, too.  The earliest ones very nearly succeeded, though I was quite flattered that I rated so highly as to have them called in to attempt to slay me.  Though the price on my head went ever upward, tales of what I did to those who survived my retaliation spread, and eventually only the best of the best would dare face me.  That much hasn’t changed to this day, in fact; you should see the collection of would-be assassins I’ve collected over the centuries.”

AG:  “Your…collection of would-be assassins?  You mean in prisons?”

RV:  “Something like that, yes.  We’ll call them private prisons for the sake of brevity.  I recall, as the Age of Legends approached, I had even taken to holding competitions with them, sometimes under the guise of simple thievery from one of my strongholds, others with specific instructions to slay me.  The ones I was most impressed with I…recruited…to serve as deterrence for any others who would seek to harm me.  One of my most fond kerryn pets came from their ranks, in fact.  I do miss Sei-Sei quite a bit sometimes when I’m feeling nostalgic.”

AG:  “I see… Can you tell me something of how the world had come to be following the Reforging, and in the period leading up to the Age of Legends?”

RV:  “I could tell you quite a bit, and would ask you to be more specific, but I’m certain I can tell you what you wish to know.  Though stability had once again come, and had been for roughly a thousand years, perhaps, discontent was looming once more.  Though remarkably stable up until then, the Imperium Draconis was showing signs of decline and coming collapse, even with the guiding hands of the demons and the mazoku.  They had perhaps overextended themselves, or had grown discontent with simply existing, and sought to expand their power.  Rebellions against the empire were starting to grow more frequent, even amongst the kerryn slaves.  The Emperor’s loyal orc clan, the Badaxe, who had taken up the study of the aerian tactics and kept their traditions alive, were even growing restless, being used for little more than bodyguards and as a special police force. 

On my side of the world, things were not quite so unified, but there was plenty of restlessness to be seen.  Refugees and escaped slaves from the Imperium had been coming to our land more and more, spreading word of the atrocities committed by the Emperor.  Much of it was blown out of proportion, certainly; I visited the land regularly and saw little of what they described.  I even spent quite a few months in their Great Library during the course of my studies, and aside from the cracks that had formed, the Empire itself remained remarkably stable for its age.  Still, seeds had been planted.  Though we had refined our methods at the time, the Elvish Dominion was beginning to be looked upon most unfavorably by the other races, so the few elders who remained began to see the possibility of another war breaking out. 

I remained mostly disconnected from it all, though, intent upon my studies.  It was during this period that I would make my most significant discovery relating to my own nature, a nature shared by a select few known individuals throughout history, and many more who would remain undiscovered.  I’ll save discussion of that until later, though.”

AG:  “Very well.  What would you say is the starting point for the Age of Legends?  Historians can’t seem to agree exactly upon what marks the start of this period.”

RV:  “I would say that it was my drive to study the ancient dragons and their remaining relics and sites that ultimately kickstarted the Age of Legends, specifically with the funding I provided, however indirectly, of several major expeditions at once.  Most significant of these were two, namely at the ruins of the ancient draconic city upon the Dragontail Isles, and the discovery of another draconic city far to the west of the Imperium Draconis, which would ultimately be handled by the researchers and archeologists of the Great Library.  That one was led by a most important individual, one of your ancestors, perhaps…what was her name back then… ah yes, Angeliqua Cartacustos, the humble librarian who would ascend to become the Goddess of Knowledge and Storytelling, the Goldeneyed Librarian, Guardian of the Codex Infinitum herself.  She was quite astute for a human, a credit to your kind, especially during those days.  I can’t take sole credit for her ascension, certainly, but I would like to think I played some small part in it by starting her down that path with my expedition into what was known as the Wildlands during that time. 

Once these draconic cities were uncovered and their secrets plundered for study, the Age of Legends would start in earnest, with some of the most recognizable heroes and villains in history emerging to once again reshape the world, though, thankfully, nowhere near as drastically as had been seen during the Great Cataclysm, even though Marcon Shadowmist would again show himself and guide events to favor his own machinations.”

#Lore24 – Entry #82 – Fantasy Month #22 – The Dulcitius Attaliates Expedition to Sharmourne

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

I was rather interested in the topic of expeditions to lost cities, however when Mother specifically asked about this one, and further specified that she wanted details about the leader’s frugality when organizing this endeavor, I was less enthused.  She certainly seems to be taken with this theme she’s gotten into her head as of late.

The great city of Sharmourne was another lost to the shifting landscapes following the Great Cataclysm, seemingly devoured by the churning earth, all traces wiped away.  Always a target for treasure hunters, Sharmourne was always something of an obsession for the scholar Dulcitius Attaliates, for his ancestors originated from the fabled city.  Though at the time a rather unsuccessful treasure hunter, his obsessive study of geography and historical records nonetheless led him to believe that he had puzzled out the likely location of the lost city.  The problem, as is often the case with treasure hunts, is finding proper funding.  Attaliates was not rich, and he had only a few of the lower nobility convinced when it came to actually providing money for his proposed expedition; he wasn’t possessed of a silver tongue, either. 

And so, perhaps born of his obsession and a generally frugal upbringing, Attaliates began what has become known by some as the “Trek of the Slave Scholars”.  Though there were only a handful of slaves in the expedition party, it was the equipment chosen by Attaliates that garnered the name.  As certain magical items are generally widely available at a relatively low cost thanks to their popularity by slave-owners within the Empire, Attaliates made the decision, regarded at the time, and still to this day by some, as a ludicrous one, to employ some of the magical accessories commonly in use on slaves to lower overall costs.

Perhaps having made use of charm spells and other enchantments, Attaliates somehow convinced his party of the benefits of such items, and the expedition was officially launched, setting out approximately two-hundred-thirty years ago.  Firstly, Attaliates insisted upon all members of the party making use of feeder gags once they had gone into the wildlands beyond the Empire’s borders, for palatable food and water were never guaranteed; while unappetizing and completely flavorless, the gags nonetheless provide all the nutrition required, pride and dignity be damned.  Due to having to wear the gags for a long period for their magics to adjust to the wearer and provide needed nourishment, I imagine this likewise greatly cut down on the number of complaints he received from his party.

Secondly, Attaliates employed longstrider boots obtained second-hand from a slave courier service; though worn and seemingly impractical (these particular items were hoof boots after all, made more for visual appeal), the enchantments nonetheless proved just as capable in the wilds, providing solid footing and enhanced endurance and speed.  Of course, elite scouts in the Imperial military often make use of boots with the same enchantment, but maintaining one’s pride came with costs that Attaliates simply couldn’t afford.  Thirdly, in lieu of pack animals, Attaliates’s party made use of pack-slave harnesses, which, while rather bulky and not conducive to wearing much in the way of clothing, nonetheless provided more than ample ability for he and his team to carry all of the gear they required, with enough magically enhanced carrying ability left over for what they hoped would be plenty of treasure.  Lastly, Attaliates made use of master rings and slave collars keyed to them, not for the punishments such devices can perform (there were no confirmed accounts of this function being employed, anyway), but for the magical tracking ability, allowing him and his team leads to know exactly where all members of the party were located.

While dignity was certainly not a factor in the expedition, Attaliates managed to prove that he was not as crazy as some may have thought he was.  His obsessive research proved to be very accurate, and though it took several weeks to bear fruit, his party were ultimately successful in locating the ruins of Sharmourne, the bulk of the city’s broken remnants scattered through a heavily forested, mountainous region.  With the relics and treasures this first expedition managed to find, Attaliates was easily able to fund additional trips with much larger and more well-funded groups, and without the need for slave gear.