This document was found posted in the Central Square of the City of Karse when it was captured by the Empire. It was filled with strange writing which no-one could read. This lead most of our troops to think it was cursed writing and so it was left untouched. Eventually a sage was found within the city who volunteered the information that it was a Kralori document and offered to translate it for provisions. His annotations have been added to the document to clarify certain concepts.
Dispelling Gross Nescience
It has come to the ears that the savages of the Khanate [1] of Karshin [2] hold foolish beliefs about the nature of Dragons. This superstition has been made known to us by one of the barbarian savants, who travelled to our August Land on one of the tribute-bearing ships of the Khan [3]. I can testify that he has exhibited intelligence and education superior to most of his kin, so we have no need to doubt his words.
He tells us that North of Karshin, there exits Race of Beast People who believe in many strange things. These misanthropes claim descent from the Oldest Dragons, that they are immune to death, that they will mature into Dragons amongst many other strange things. They furthermore claim that they are the only true practitioners of the Draconic Arts and that our claims of mastery are false.
It is simple to confute their ridiculous lies with the following observation: a Dragon is not a beast; it is a manifestation of spiritual enlightenment. Our Most Splendid Godunya is justly accredited by Our Wise Sages as a Dragon yet has never exhibited wings, scales nor fangs. The Great and Resplendid Daruda most assuredly brought us the secrets of the Primal Manifestations of Draconic Puissance from the Mover of Heavens yet the Wise know that this is but a beginning. We are not bound to the shape we had as children but learn and mature to achieve the grace and dignity of Sages.
Furthermore, it well know that a similar race dwells upon the Isle of Fanzow. They call themselves not Dragonewts but Salamanders and have been known to the Wise as the Salamander People since the Most Ancient of Days. Their parentage was such that in ancient days, they look like brightly coloured salamanders imitating the gait and speech of men. They became aware of their wretched base nature and sought to improve themselves by noble devotion and self sacrifice to the cause of the Land of Splendour.
After many centuries of selfless dedication, We taught them the Way of Dragons in the Days gone by. This was Just Reward for their virtuous conduct and conscious desire to better their savage nature. Thus the Salamander people have become practitioners of the draconic way and their form draws closer to the first and oldest manifestation. Then they will correct the mistake of their parentage and become men.
Now it is furthermore known to us that in Karshin, there exists a race of Beast People known as Newts. Several of these creatures have visited the port of Lur Nop. Clearly the connection between these newts and the so-called dragonewts has not escaped the barbarians? Why surely the dragonewts are little more than newts who have mastered some draconic disciplines from passing dragons? Our astonishment increases when we learn that some savants do note that the newts are thought to be the cousins of the dragonewts.
The alarming nescience of the barbarians in this manner has appalled us to such an extent that I, Central Wisdom, Sage of the Imperial Academy, Magistrate to the Exarch of Wanzow and member of the Council of Barbarian Affairs, has resolved to take extraordinary measures to correct this ignorance. This notice is to be publicly displayed in the square of the capital city of the Khanate of Karshin in the four hundredth and ninety fifth year of Godunya's auspicious rule. [4]
[1] Kralori term for a barbarian kingdom.
[2] The City of Karse. The Holy Country is meant.
[3] The Kralori Sages view trade with distaste. The fiction
has arisen that foreign imports are 'tribute from foreign lands' to Kralorela and that foreign exports are 'mere trinkets to improve the spiritual welfare of the impoverished outside'. The Khan referred to is the Pharoah.
[4] 1619. Kralori documents use the regnal years in all but
the most important of documents. The Year Count of their Calender is now something like 150 million which is unwieldy in most documents.
End of Glorantha Digest V1 #140
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