Historical research
Overview
The Empire has been in existence for nearly four hundred years; human civilization stretches back much further than that. The recent settlements by Dawn and the Highborn were proceeded by centuries of orc barbarian chaos and before that the Bay of Catazar area was home to the sprawling kingdoms that were the ancestors of Navarr, Wintermark, Urizen and Varushka. Any given scholar today knows only a part of the epic history of humankind.
No Imperial Archives
There are no Imperial Archives - no secret libraries maintained by the civil service. Instead, there are libraries, archives, records, and similar across the Empire. There are scores across the Empire - even the Navarr Stridings carry books and scrolls with them in their wagons. Every Wintermark hall keeps a tally of judgement stretching back generations. Every Dawnish house keeps records of its most glorious members. Each Highborn chapter records the deeds of its worthy scions, every Urizen spire maintains libraries both arcane and more mundane in nature. The Marchers have memories written and oral that stretch back to the times before there were any Marchers, while the Varushkan Wise Ones and Cabalists maintain written records and keep the rich tradition of stories and cautionary tales alive from generation to generation. The tribes of the Brass Coast maintain family archives the first scrolls of which were carried with the exiled Founders when they left Highguard. The League cities build white granite libraries dedicated to the history of the city-folk and jealously guard the personal histories of guilds and grudges and debts owed. While the Imperial Orcs are new to the Empire, their cultural drive to education and their reverence of the written word have already begun amassing records, books and scrolls.
There are millions of documents in the Empire. Once upon a time, hundreds of years were spent copying tomes and collecting documents together... and then Nicovar the Mad burnt them down. Recreating these Imperial Archives would cost millions of thrones and take centuries. The closest the Empire has to an Imperial archive at the moment is the great mass of writing that is spread across the entire Empire.
Commissioning Historical Research
Finding specific information in the decentralised Imperial memory is a daunting and expensive task. Teams of people must spread out across the Empire to seek out lore buried in any of the countless personal libraries. The civil service has a team of librarians with great experience of these searches so the most effective way to uncover information about the past is for the Imperial Senate to commission these experts to organise a program of research.
The Senate has created three Imperial titles with the power to commission historical research.
- The Minister of Historical Research, an Imperial title appointed by the Senate
- The Dredgemaster of Feverwater, a Navarr national title appointed by the Navarr senators.
- The Advisor on the Vallorn, a Navarr national title appointed by the Navarr senators.
Commissioning historical research costs 5 Thrones, and the civil service has the resources to perform up to two such tasks each season. Prior to the murderous events of 379YE, the civil service was able to perform more research commissions each season; the loss of so many experienced researchers significantly curtailed their ability to perform scholastic study.
Because of their experience the civil service can usually give an estimate of how likely they are to find some information. On occasion, they will have information easily accessible in which case no additional research is required and no cost is assessed. Sometimes the project will be so massive in scale that the costs will be considerably higher.
Once the research is complete, the civil service provides a report summarizing their findings. This is usually given to a named individual, although it may also be made available to any Imperial scholar who asks through public dissemination.
Recent Historical Research
This table represents official requests to the department of historical research, whether from the Senate or from one of the titles empowered to commission research.
| Topic | Date | Comissioned By | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myfanwy of Hercynia and her travels and relationships with the First Empress | Autumn 381YE | Eleri Bronwen's Rest | Outstanding |
| Expedition to Terunael ruins in Axos | Autumn 381YE | Siân Eternal | Outstanding |
| Aneira Dancewalker, thought to be General of the Quiet Step during the fall of Liathaven, and her brother Eurion Dancewalker who forged Aneira's Talon | Summer 381YE | Eleri Bronwen's Rest | Complete |
| Mage known as Star, compatriot to Navarr and Thorn | Summer 381YE | Siân Eternal | Complete |
| Rhonwen's Fall | Spring 381YE | Merel Eternal | Complete |
| Apaayuqiu King, and the pre-Wintermark history in Semersuaq area | Winter 380YE | Ioseph of Pheonix Reach | Outstanding |
| Luca Ritter von Holberg, Cardinal of Courage around 125YE | Winter 380YE | Ioseph of Pheonix Reach | Complete |
| Founders of the Brass Coast | Autumn 380YE | Ioseph of Pheonix Reach | Complete |
| The noble house of Mazare of Dawn | Summer 380YE | Dredgemaster of Feverwater | Complete |
| The Charter Stone of the Terunael city of Seren | Spring 380YE | Siân Eternal | Complete |
| The Heart of Peytaht, its contents and the nature of the entities within it | Winter 379YE | Dredgemaster of Feverwater? | Complete |
| Cadaver, a sovereign, of the Dark Hearts vale in Varushka | Winter 379YE | Neb | Complete |
| The Gwerin Marfae, the marshfolk around at the time of Terunael | Autumn 379YE | Corey Brackensong | Complete |
| Further research into the runeforge in Skarsind | Autumn 379YE | Palladius of Urizen | Complete |
| The relationship between auras and the paragons/exemplars they are named for | Spring 379YE | Yael of Felix's Watch | Complete |
| The naval campaign of Emperor Barabbas | unknown | unknown | Complete |
| Briar graves and land fertility in the Marches | Autumn 378YE | unknown | Completed Winter 378YE |
| Empress Varkula's burial rites (and their efficacy) | Autumn 378YE | unknown | Completed |
| Artok Ice Golems | Autumn 378YE | unknown | Completed Winter 378YE |
| The Incarnadine Satchel | Autumn 378YE | unknown | Completed Winter 378YE |
| The Mask of the Visionary | Summer 378YE | unknown | Completed Autumn 378YE |
| Mazen and the missing Golem | Summer 378YE | unknown | Completed Autumn 378YE |
| The Crown of Three Tears | Summer 378YE | Thane Aedred in Wintermark | Completed Autumn 378YE |
| The Equine Rod | Summer 378YE | unknown | Completed Autumn 378YE |
| The Imperial Favour of Empress Britta | Summer 378YE | Ioseph of Phoenix Reach | Results Published |
| The Campaigns of Emperor Guntherm against the Jotun | Spring 378YE | unknown | Completed |
| The Banner of the Gryphon's Pride | Spring 378YE | unknown | Completed |
| The origins of the Volodny Bas Celik | Simargl of the Circle of Zulgan-Tash | Completed | |
| Coven of the Burning Star | Ioseph of Phoenix Reach | Completed |