Comes a time
"Cords, its a lovely idea but it's crazy! Nobody is going to pay for this - they want to raise an army!"
The old woman smiled at her young friend affectionately, apparently unmoved by his lack of faith. "Did I ever tell you about the old Wintermark scop I met when I first started studying the history of the Empire? Topi he was called."
"Yes Cordelia - you've told me the story more than once." He tried to interrupt but she ignored him - as she usually did.
"His hall was falling into the sea you know. The sea was washing the cliffs away. Nothing could be done. And all his books were going to be lost. So he set to, carrying them all to Gildenheim. Folk laughed at him too. Took him three years to move them all. Back and forth he went, back and forth, patient as a beaver. Just kept at it, until it was done. Well this is just the same. It will take years too, patient as a beaver, back and forth. And people will laugh, just like they laughed at Topi."
"I've heard the story Cordelia, but it's different now. There are priorities, we need another army. We can't do everything - we need to focus on what is possible."
"No, no Aedan, you're quite wrong. That's absolutely the wrong way to think about it. We need to focus on what is impossible. How else will we achieve it?"
He tried to interrupt again but Cordelia was not finished speaking.
"We don't collect history so that we know what happened Aedan - what on earth would be the use of that! The point of history is to remind us of all the things we are capable of. Of the things we can do if we only put our mind to it. Once we built great cities of architecture and beauty and splendour. Cities that lived and breathed and fed a million people. It's all in the books Aedan."
She smiled at her favourite apprentice. "We don't need an army to beat the vallorn Aedan. We just need to remember who we are."
Overview
The Navarr National Assembly passed a number of important judgements at the recent summit. All those that achieved a greater majority were disseminated throughout the territories of Navarr, from the Broch to Liaven's Dance, from Peakedge Stead to Treji, and all leading to Seren. Two judgements in particular have sparked the imagination of the Navarr - two judgements that could not have been more different. The first calls for the creation of a new army to fight the vallorn; the second speaks of the Navarr city of Seren and the pride of its citizens.
The second statement did not achieve a greater majority, but nonetheless has attracted a great deal of interest. With the nations of the Empire encouraged to look to the strengthening of their own people and lands by the Imperial Synod, statement of principle raised by Enis in the General Assembly regarding the city of Seren has inspired people across Miaren and beyond.
These two statements appeal to very different parts of the Navarr nation. The army has an obvious role to play in the present, in dealing with the vallorn and in fighting the enemies of the Empire. The status of the city of Seren, however, appeals to those Navarr who look to the future - to a time when the vallorn is gone and their people must find a new dream to guide them on their path through the Great Dance.
Now is our time, a time of venom and blood, we have an opportunity to strike at the Vallorn. This will not be achieved without armies. To this end we ask the Navarr nation to focus its ambition and create a new army. This army will be formed with the intention of striking at the Vallorn.
Corey Wayfarer, Navarr Assembly, Spring 383YE, Upheld (168 - 0 Greater Majority).Thorns
- The Navarr can already raise a third army
- The standard cost of raising an army is 200 wains of mithril, 50 thrones, and a senate motion. It takes a year to complete.
The call to raise a third Navarr army is carried to every corner of the Empire by the stridings. This isn't the first time in recent years that there has been an attempt to raise a third army. The matter has come up several times in recent years and there was even a motion in the Senate to that effect during the Summer Solstice of 380YE. The motion was abrogated the following summit, and the subject was not raised again until very recently. Precisely why the motion failed is subject of speculation, but the most common assumption is that it was due to a shortage of materials. Funding an army has always been a challenge for the Navarr. Any army raised by the Empire needs mithril but the nation has never had a steady supply of the precious metal. While wealthy, the Navarr generally lack the great monetary wealth of the League or the Marches.
It is difficult to disagree with the National assembly as to the importance of an army that is specially trained to deal with the vallorn. Such an ability would be unique in the Empire, a vital boon in the endless war against the Navarr's terrible enemy. Surely any price is worth paying to have such a weapon in Navarr hands? The vallorn of Liathaven has been weakened, and there are those who speculate that if the vallorn of Brocéliande can be withstood for long enough it might likewise be weakened. The trods have never reached as far or as widely as they do today; the locations of the other vallorn-infested ruins of Terunael have been identified. The presence of the Grey Pilgrims means that there have never been more people actively trying to destroy the vallorn. There is something in the air - and if the Navarr are to make the most of future opportunities to fight their unnatural foe they may need to act quickly to secure the tools to do so.
However, as the one-eyed vate Araun Blood of Fire points out there is someone else who enthusiastically supports the idea of the Navarr raising more armies - a potential ally who has already offered their assistance to the Quiet Step and seems more than happy to offer continued assistance. He is speaking, of course, of the King of Spiders.
Blood and Fire
- The eternal Arhallogen has offered to support the creation of a new Navarr army.
- It offers to create a testing ground in Brocéliande where the new army could be trained.
- Before it will provide its aid, it requires either a declaration of amity or a precisely worded declaration of concord.
The Spider King has offered aid to the Navarr in the past, and continues to provide assistance in various ways. Its agents have confirmed that it is prepared to help raise and empower a third army, but before it will do so it requires the approval of the Imperial Conclave. That approval could be acquired in either of two ways.
The Conclave could grant the eternal amity. Alternatively, they could pass a Declaration of concord explicitly inviting the Patient One to raise its school in Brocéliande, and offer its assistance to the Navarr in raising their third army. It would not be necessary to pass both. Amity would give the eternal great freedom to act in the Empire; its heralds could travel as they chose and the Queen of Scorpions would find it easier to exert its power over within Imperial territories. The declaration of concord would have a similar effect, but only for the specific task of raising and operating a structure in Brocéliande to aid the Navarr.
If the Conclave provides their stamp of approval, the Marshal of Centipedes would require no further assistance to raise its training hall. The construction would be formed around a regio in Brocéliande - likely in Boar's Dell or Elerael but it is not impossible the eternal might choose to place it in The Broch. The hall would not require any materials, nor need a commission from the Senate. Nothing would be ceded - even if the hall were built in a region under Imperial control - and all the work would be carried out by the eternal and their heralds. It would be complete within a season.
Technically, as Brocéliande is outside the Empire, the Silent Hunter does not require the approval of the Conclave - but they are asking for it nonetheless. Most likely because they wish to gain a level of "legitimacy" for their scheme. Going ahead without Conclave approval runs the risk of the magicians of the Empire deciding that they disapprove and punishing those involved. Arhallogen seems keep to avoid this situation. The eternal may also be aware of the recent violence between the Empire and the Rot Lord and wish to avoid any misunderstandings. Unlike that eternal however, Arhallogen does not appear to be seeking to control anything in the mortal world - there is no suggestion that the eternal plans to claim the region where its hall would be raised nor that it has any ambitions to spread its influence beyond its walls.
Should the declaration be secured, the Navarr could raise an army at the site, allowing them to benefit from the unique training provided by heralds of the Wasp Lord. This tuition would allow the Navarr to replace up to 100 wains of mithril with 100 wains of weirwood when raising the army. Navarr soldiers would be taught all the ways that living things prey on and compete with each other, and practice strategies to let them hunt, and kill their enemies. They would learn how to crush weaker prey and how to use poison and disease to enfeeble their enemies, and how to strike at them when they are at their weakest.
The new army would gain the Silent hunters quality, reflecting the training and skills learned from Arhallogen's children.
Silent Hunters
- Can use the Tear Down the Weak order when attacking
A pestilent army is able to employ poison and disease to weaken their enemies. Warriors employ deadly poisons on their blades in battle, but the army is also able to employ Spring magic to spread poison and disease throughout the land, sapping the strength of those any who oppose them. On campaign they excel at using murderous ambushes to kill and maim as many of the enemy as possible. Heralds and venomous beasts of Arhallogen accompany the army, bringing with them the magical might of the Spider King. Should Arhallogen be placed under enmity by the Imperial Conclave, the enmity would have the normal effect but it would not be sufficient to prevent the army from having the silent hunters quality of using the Tear Down the Weak order.
- Casualties inflicted by this army are increased by three tenths.
- The ability of this army to conquer territory is reduced by a fifth.
- The effectiveness of this army against the Vallorn is greatly improved; the army does not suffer additional casualties for fighting in a vallorn miasma.
Without Fear or Favour
It is possible that the Imperial Conclave will not choose to allow an eternal to create a commission in the Empire, not so soon after the Highborn were forced to destroy the fortress created by Llofir in Reikos. It is also possible that the Navarr might choose not to accept the gifts of the Silent One. It is clear that the Spider King sees the Navarr as favoured allies among the mortals - it is not clear that all the Navarr see themselves that way. There are some among the Navarr who claim that the nation must stand apart from the harsh ideology of the Eyes in the Dark. These critics do not deny the importance of an army trained to fight the vallorn - they simply suggest that another way must be found.
While Arhallogen can certainly grant the Navarr the ability to wield the destructive power of Spring against their enemies, these critics argue that the Navarr do not need the eternals help. The vates are adept at manipulating the power of the Spring realm, and the Navarr are among the finest masters of herb lore in the Empire. It would not be easy and it would definitely not be cheap, but the Navarr could focus on their own mastery of Spring magic and apothecary to train a new army to fight the vallorn themselves.
This path would require 200 wains of mithril, 50 wains of weirwood, and 500 crowns, but the Navarr could raise an army with the quality Thornbound.
Thornbound
- Can use the Poison thorns order when attacking
The army is able to use their mastery of Spring magic and their expertise with herbs to create powerful poisons to apply to their weapons. These poisons are designed to kill quickly and without suffering, ensuring that the enemy do not linger in pain.
- Casualties inflicted by this army are increased by three tenths.
- The ability of this army to conquer territory is reduced by a fifth.
- The effectiveness of this army against the Vallorn is improved; the army does not suffer additional casualties for fighting in a vallorn miasma.
Limitations
Neither of these opportunities is limited. As long as Arhallogen does not have enmity it is prepared to offer its aid to the Navarr and as long as the vallorn exists there will be Navarr prepared to fight it.
Exactly how effective the Tear Down the Weak or Poison Thorns orders will be at fighting the vallorn is impossible to predict - there has never been an army specifically trained to deal with the vallorn and its spawn before. What is certain is that the use of venom, Spring magic, and herb lore will make the army more effective at fighting the vallorn than other armies.
Should it become relevant, the Wintermark special order Fight with honour would affect both Tear Down the Weak and Poison Thorns in the same way it affects Fire in the Blood.
While the Ambition of the Navarr may seem to be mainly focused on eradicating the Vallorn, we are also a people of great culture, history, and virtue. We move to recognise Seren, in Miaren, as a city of worth equal to those in other nations.
Enis, General Assembly, Spring 383YE, Upheld (587-238).Legacy
- Miaren is one of the most populated territories of the Navarr but among the least developed.
- Numerous opportunities exist to reinforce the position of Seren as one of the Empire's cities.
When people talk of the cities of the Empire, their first thought is of the great conurbations of the League. Push them a little further and some will be able to name Meade in the Marches, Siroc on the Brass Coast, Bastion in Highguard, Kalpaheim in Wintermark and even Gildenheim in Skarsind. Outside the Navarr, surprisingly few would mention the city of Seren in the same breath.
Yet it cannot be denied that Seren is a city on par with Meade and the rest. While it may lack the great walls or clustered buildings of the cities in other nations, this is simply because the city covers so much more land and the population is much more spread out. Seren is composed of a number of large steadings joined by well-maintained wooded paths and bridges. From the ruins of the Terunael city that was once the heart of the vallorn, the Navarr have created an idyllic homeland - a vision of what the future could hold once the great enemy is finally defeated.
All remnants of wild growth have been eradicated; in their place the Navarr have cultivated avenues of tall trees to mark the paths, and cleared expansive glades to allow the sunlight to pour in, warming the ground below. As you draw closer to the ruins, there are carefully planted flower beds, that produce a riot of colours when they open their petals. The city has become a testimony to what humanity can achieve when the natural world is tamed by the Ambitions of civilised people. More than anything Seren proves that when suitably tended, nature can be both benign and beautiful.
Despite this Seren is so often overlooked, not just by the Empire but sometimes by the Navarr themselves. Brands and Thorns can spend so long locked in battle with the vallorn that some forget what they are fighting for. The vates may forget that their promise to Navarr and Thorn was not to avenge the fall of Terunael but to restore it. Seren is the legacy of the Navarr, it is the dream made real - it is what the Navarr are fighting for.
Enis' judgement did not achieve a greater majority in the General Assembly, but in the current climate it achieved enough support to inspire the people of Navarr nonetheless. It is not enough for the Empire to simply say Seren is a city however; that is too easy and will have minimal effect. Instead, the people of Miaren have put forward three far-reaching projects have been proposed, any one of which would cement the importance and prominence of Seren as one of the great cities of the Empire.
The three proposals are mutually exclusive; each one requires not only the construction of a key building but also a degree of reshaping of the city itself to support that structure.
The City of Flowers
- A grand wonder could be built in Miaren that would greatly enhance the herb gardens of the territory
- This would lead to the city being Seren, the Garden City.
The Navarr are widely acknowledged to be masters of the herbal arts in the Empire. They played a pivotal role in the discovery of liao and by extension true liao for example. Miaren is already the site of dozens of well-tended gardens that produce crops of vital herbs. Some are used to help in the fight against the vallorn; some are used to support the Navarr armies; some are sold to the physicks and apothecaries of other nations. One noted apothecary, Bronwen of the Silver Falls, proposes that by applying some organisation, the herb gardens of Seren could be harnessed to provide a truly wondrous bounty of magical herbs to the Navarr people. And by harnessing those gardens, Seren could truly earn the title of the City of Flowers.
The Gardens of the Heart
- The Gardens of the Heart would require 70 wains of weirwood, 20 wains of white granite, 10 wains of mithril, and 25 Thrones in labour. They would take three seasons to complete
When the vallorn was cleared from Miaren over two hundred years ago, the ruins of the old city of Seren were left largely alone. The vallorn heart was uprooted and destroyed, and the ruins themselves preserved as a monument to - and reminder of - the past. Over time, they were largely transformed into a garden, rich with beautiful flowers and rare plants. Bronwen proposes to expand these gardens, and then build seven more dedicated public garden-parks in a great ring around them. Some of these gardens would grow True Vervain, Imperial Roseweald, and Marrowort alongside flowering plants and fruit trees. Others would be enclosed beneath great greenhouses and used to grow Cerulean Mazzarine, Bladeroot, and other plants that prosper best in controlled environments.
The stridings of the Navarr criss-cross the Empire and (these days) even travel beyond its borders; Navarr mariners visit distant shores and trade with the inhabitants of far-away lands. All would be encouraged to bring back samples of exotic and unfamiliar plants to be cultivated in the Gardens of the Heart, to the benefit of all the people of Navarr. The garden at the heart of Seren itself would be tended by a cadre of the finest gardeners and herbalists in the Navarr, who would be encouraged to share their knowledge with students. Not only Navarr students either; it is likely that apothecaries and physicks from across the Empire would be interested in travelling to Seren to study with the finest Navarr herbalists.
Bronwen's plans would require 70 wains of weirwood, 20 wains of white granite, 10 wains of mithril, and cost 200 crowns to build. The Gardens could only be commissioned using a Senate motion, and would take three seasons to build. Once complete, they would create the title of Brand of the Garden City, whose responsibilities would include overseeing and increasing the prosperity and standing of the city of Seren. In return, the Brand would receive a bounty of 35 herbs each season, five of each type.
In addition, the Gardens of Seren would provide a bounty of 90 herbs spread between the herb gardens of Miaren each season. Unlike a great work however, the herbs provided would vary by season. During Summer, the herb gardens of Miaren would produce additional Cerulean Mazzarine, During Autumn, they would produce Marrowort. In Winter, they would produce Bladeroot. In Spring, they would produce Imperial Roseweald.
Perhaps most importantly, however, a wonder on this scale would cement Seren's status as the "Garden City of the Empire" - a recognition of its status and natural beauty. It would become a haven for students of herb lore from across the Empire, but also a beacon for the study of the arts. This would likely lead to future opportunities, in keeping with the new prominence of the city.
The City of Dreams
- A great temple could be built in Seren that would inspire guides across the nation and attract pilgrims from across the Empire.
It is not only magical herbs that are gathered by the people of Miaren. The territory is also known for producing large amounts vinum - the raw sap from which is used to produce liao. Miaren produces more vinum than any other single territory in the Empire, and much of that production is centred in the gentle woodlands around the steadings of Seren. Many of the plants are refined in Seren, and it is said that when the workers are preparing the sap, the smell is so intoxicating that it is common to experience a dreamy feeling of light-headedness. The vinum does not put people to sleep, but it can produce the most vivid day-dreams in those who work it for too long - and when they sleep at night they often experience profound dreams that are almost visionary in nature. It is for this reason it is called the Dream Harvest by those who work to gather it.
The dreams produced by exposure to the partially refined liao are not mere fancies. Rather, they are similar in nature to the kind of dream a priest can cultivate through their understanding of the Dedication ceremony. While unguided, they can often contain images that reflect the concerns or challenges the dreamer faces in their life. A skilled guide can help interpret those dreams and perhaps help the dreamer understand their concerns, or face the challenges that lie before them.
It is perhaps not a surprise that the Dream Harvest also attracts a number of guides, many of whom have made a great study of dreams and gained much insight from working with those who labour at the Harvest. Guides play a crucial role in Navarr society, helping people find their "right place" in the world. The various settlements that make up Seren count many guides amongst their number and scores more who have been helped by them. Despite this the city has no great places of worship... no numinous construction to uplift the human spirit and inspire them in their pursuit of the seven Virtues or in their understanding of the Great Dance.
Dradan of the River Falls is an old guide who has spent most of his life travelling the Empire looking to help people find their way in the Way - but his journeys always bring him back to Seren. Now too old to travel easily. he has spent the last decade advising pilgrims and passing on seven decades of wisdom to young guides. He has a proposal that what would make Seren a true equal to the other cities of the Empire, a great temple, dedicated to the study of the Way and the practical examination of the virtues. In particular, it could be a place where the Navarr guides can explore how their understanding of the Great Dance interlocks with the teachings and doctrines of the Way.
The Temple of Waking Dream
| The Temple of Waking Dream |
| Commission Type: Great Work |
| Location: Serenael, Miaren |
| Cost: 30 white granite, 90 weirwood, and 45 thrones in labour |
| Effect: Increases investment in Miaren for congregations by one, creates the title of Dreamer's Guide, and establishes the Dreamspeaker archetype for Navarr |
| Dreamer's Guide |
| Type: Navarr |
| Appointment: National Assembly |
| Powers: Receives 15 doses of liao and 5 doses of asphodel tea each season. Receives a Dreamer's Mask allowing them to provide dreams based on the target's dedication. |
| Responsibilities: To oversee the temple and look to the prominence and prosperity of the city of Seren and its pilgrims |
- The plans for the Temple of the Waking Dream have been redesigned
Following the revision of how great works function, the guide Dradan of the River Falls - who originally proposed the Temple of the Waking Dream - has spent time going over his designs to better reflect the Temple and the City. Importantly, the Temple of the Waking Dream function would still be the same: the dreamspeakers would still rise to prominence as a path for Navarri priests to follow, focused on interpreting dreams and using the Dedication ceremony to foster such dreams, with an eye towards helping people understand the route through the Great Dance that was right for them.
Dradan's revisions have added a series of gardens suitable for certain herbs along with accommodation for apothecaries with a focus towards the Infusions of Feathers. As such, every Navarri with a congregation in Miaren would receive an additional dose of liao and a dose of Goosewhisper Infusion each season. The apothecaries would also provide the Dreamer's Guide with five doses of asphodel tea each season; a potent concoction uses prepared vinum that functions in a similar way to liao in allowing dreams. The striding of River Falls have also committed to providing a Dreamer's Mask once a year to whoever is appointed as the Dreamer's Guide the season after they are elected. A Dreamer's Mask is not something known to Imperial artisans but according to Dradan it allows a liao-induced dream to be guided by the target's virtue rather than the priest's.
The Temple of Waking Dream (Lapsed)
- The Temple of Waking Dream would require 90 wains of weirwood, 30 wains of white granite, and 30 Thrones in labour. It would take three season to complete.
Dradan proposes to create a grand Temple of Waking Dream - a place of faith and virtue. Big enough to rival the cathedrals of Highguard, but built in harmony with the existing gardens and steadings of Seren, it would stand as a testament to both the philosophy of the Great Dance and the teachings of the Way. In addition to the Temple itself, and the extensive gardens that surrounded it, the project would include building wayhouses and shrines suitable for use by both pilgrims and students of spirituality and religion. It would attract guides and pilgrims from across the Empire - especially those who were for whatever reason dissatisfied with their lives and wished to find new purpose - or a new way of living.
Dradan's plans are exquisitely beautiful, echoing the most adept techniques used to build many of the finest buildings in Seren. Part of the plans include incorporating much of the current work refining vinum sap into chambers within the temple - which would be a place of industrious prosperity as well as contemplation and study. The presence of the Dream Harvest within the main building would mean that the fragrance of raw vinum would permeate everywhere through the building producing exotic and vivid dreams in those who stayed long enough to gain the full benefits of their visit; dreams that Dradan and his fellow guides could interpret
Such construction would not be cheap. It would require 90 wains of weirwood, 30 wains of white granite, and 30 thrones on labour costs. It would need a Senate motion to commission it and take nine months to build.
As a place of pilgrimage, the Temple of the Waking Dream would provide every Navarr congregation in Miaren with a share of 80 Synod votes and 40 doses of liao each season, as if it were a great work.
At the same time, the Temple would create a new Imperial title, the Dreamer's Guide who would receive 10 liao and 20 votes in the Synod each season, appointed annually by the Navarr Assembly. The guide would oversee the temple, but also to look to the prominence and prosperity of the city of Seren and the many pilgrims passing through. If the Navarr chose they could give the Dreamer's Guide the responsibility to guide the National Assembly, effectively turning the commission into the seat of the leader of the National assembly with responsibilities similar to those of the Speaker of the Highborn Assembly. These would include guiding the Navarr National assembly, ensuring its traditions are upheld, chairing the meetings of the National assembly, encouraging the priests of Navarr to vote on judgements of the Synod, to express the will of their congregations, and to share the spiritual understanding of the nation with the rest of the Empire.
With a centre for spiritual study such as this, the calling of dreamspeaker would be pushed into greater prominence, creating a new archetype for Navarr characters - a priest who focuses on interpreting dreams and using the Dedication ceremony to foster such dreams, with an eye towards helping people understand the route through the Great Dance that was right for them. Dradan speaks of dreamspeakers as people who would help the Navarr to remember their dreams, to remember that once they dreamed of something more than just unending war with the vallorn, that they stood for something, not just against something. He believes that dreamspeakers could help the Navarr put words to their dreams, to imagine a future greater than the one the Navarr hold now.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Seren would be fixed in the minds of the Empire as the "City of Dreams" - not just the dreams of those using liao and vinum, but also the dream of a world free of vallorn where every human finds their place within the Great Dance. Miaren, after all, is a dream of the future made real - a place where the vallorn has no sway and where the people are free to explore what it means to be Navarr once they are free of their responsibility to make restitution for the mistakes of the past.
The City of Leaves
- A great wonder - a grand library larger than anything that has existed in the Empire in a century and a half - could be built in Seren.
The Navarr are perhaps best known as travellers, and warriors against the vallorn, but they are also a people with a long history and a deep appreciation of learning. The Great Library of Hacynian is one example of the Navarr's commitment to scholarship. They know the terrible cost when a civilisation loses its books and its scholars. In the mad scrabble for survival after the disaster that destroyed Terunael, the art and stories of a thousand years were lost in a matter of decades.
Cordelia of Winter's Sorrow is a historian who has travelled to every corner of the Empire in her long life. She has at various times been employed by the Department of Historical Research, and has taken many students with her on her long walks across the Empire - the respected nomadic scholar Eilian Sweetwater is one of her apprentices for example. She has long been an outspoken proponent of the role of the Navarr in gathering and spreading knowledge - in fostering greater understanding between the nations of the Empire and in undoing the devastating blow to Imperial scholarship inflicted by Emperor Nicovar.
With that in mind, she proposes the construction of a great library at Seren - and that the city be dedicated to creating the single largest storehouse of Imperial knowledge ever seen.
Isaella's Legacy
- Isaella's Legacy would require 100 wains of weirwood, 50 wains of white granite, 300 crowns in labour, and take a year to construct.
- The building would require a 10 Throne upkeep to the Imperial treasury.
At the height of Terunael, Seren was a city known for its scholars and poets, and for both colleges and military academies. All were destroyed when the vallorn consumed the city. The Navarr spent decades sifting the ruins for lost lore after the territory was liberated from the vallorn - only to see much of their work lost once more when Nicovar burned the libraries. In a year, the Mad Emperor destroyed and scattered what had taken centuries to gather together. Perhaps understandably, ever since there has been a singular reticence to create a new centralised storehouse of knowledge for fear that a second Nicovar might again set the Empire teetering on the brink of a new dark age of ignorance.
Some people even claim that Nicovar's madness was for the best - that it is safer to have knowledge spread through every household in the Empire rather than kept in one place. Who would store that knowledge? Who could protect it? But perhaps was really puts people off is the sheer cost of creating and supporting such a structure. To create a large library, a commission big enough to actually store a substantial number of important texts is expensive - eye-wateringly so.
Undeterred by these facts, Cordelia proposes to create a great library at Seren - the first since Nicovar's time - which she proposes be named Isaella's Legacy. The plans that have been created for the library are truly impressive; a great building of wood and stone so vast it would require 100 wains of weirwood, 50 wains of white granite and 300 crowns to construct. It would need a senate motion to commission it and take a full year to build. The resulting structure would have an upkeep of 10 thrones a season from the Imperial treasury.
The time taken to actually construct the building would be nothing compared to how long it would take to fill with scrolls, tomes and books. That would take decades. But the Navarr can make a legitimate claim that Seren is the perfect place for Isaella's Legacy to be constructed. Because of Miaren's central location in the Empire, more stridings visit the territory than any other. By working with the stridings that visit the territory, the scribes who worked in the library could create copies of books and rare texts from all across the Empire. Over time the city of Seren would become the Empire's memory - as perhaps it was once before.
It is difficult to estimate what the full benefits of building Isaella's Legacy would be - but it would be invaluable to historians and researchers looking into the past. Once the construction was complete, the Empire's ability to carry out historical research would be permanently increased, granting them an additional opportunity to commission research each season.
There is some concern that the library would immediately become a target for enemies of the free exchange of knowledge such as the Whisper Gallery or the Feathered Serpent. After some extensive discussion with her old colleague Leontes the Scribe, the Imperial Archivist has proposed moving the entire Department for Historical Research to Seren if Isaella's Legacy is built. This would allow the money the Senate is already paying to protect the scholars and professors associated with the Department to also protect the librarians and scribes at Isaella's Legacy.
Most importantly, Isaella's Legacy would cement Seren's status as the City of Leaves, as well as providing a fitting and lasting memorial to the life of one of the most renowned Navarr ever to have lived.
Following the Winter Solstice 383YE, the newly appointed Master of the Koboldi spoke with the civil service about the feasibility of undertaking the work on the Library themselves. Unfortunately, the project is not one of those commissions available to the Master; legally they cannot announce that they will build it with the aid of the koboldi.
Unlimited Opportunities
To get one of these great commissions completed is an extremely ambitious undertaking. The people of Miaren are realistic about the chances of success.
It would be easy to build something less grand, something less ambitious. A few sinecures in Seren designed to take advantage of the fertile soil to produce herbs would be much more easily achieved and would still help the city. They would be welcomed by everyone who lives here and likely make the city more prosperous. But a smaller commission would do nothing to fundamentally alter the status of Seren as one of the great cities of the Empire in the eyes of those who live outside its bounds. It would continue to be overlooked, just as it is today.
To change that requires a significant construction, such as one of the things described here; something that could give Seren the prominence it richly deserves among the Navarr and the Empire as a whole. But the inhabitants of Seren hope that those who voted for Enis' judgement will be inspired by their ideas and commit themselves to the task of building one of these wonders - even if it takes a lifetime. If successful, any of them would likely lead to future opportunities, in keeping with the new prominence of the city.
Because of this patience, none of these opportunities will expire while Miaren remains in Imperial control. The inhabitants of Seren have been inspired by Enis' judgement, but the Navarr have spent centuries fighting the vallorn. They understand the importance of patience; they understand that achieving something truly monumental takes time. If one or more of the leaders of the Navarr is inspired to take up the challenge, then the people who live here will give them their full support no matter how many years it takes.