Esteemed Learned One,
I am making great progress on my thesis. I know you cautioned against attempting fieldwork in dangerous territories, but the upheavel surrounding the recent rebellion in Sartar necessitates that I talk to its inhabitants before the army manages to "pacify" them out of existence. Surprising as it may be, these people so respect their ties of kinship that they have accepted me into their meager homes. As you may recall, my mother came from the Varmandi clan. This I proved to them simply by reciting the list of her ancestors!
What follows is a revealing collection of oral tales I have gathered from survivors of the Varmandi clan of the Colymar tribe. These stories relate to the resettling of the Dragon Pass by Barntar worshippers from Hendrikiland (called "Heortland" by the folk of the period), during the First Wane. I hope to trace how the organized, agrarian Hendriki society degenerated into the fierce pastoral society we know today. Also, some of these stories are told from a woman's perspective. This provides a great contrast to the boastful and combative style of the typical warrior's saga. The footnotes at the end are mine.
I travel into the countryside to collect these stories, told around heathfires in quaint little huts. I am quite safe - the Varmandi Ernalda Priestess has told everyone that I should not be harmed. The garrison commander is aghast whenever I leave the protection of the town. He's an Alkothi, and he didn't take it well when I blithely mentioned that they should let him out of his cage more often. (No sense of humor!) However, I have finally found something good in the army - somewhat regular communication on the frontier. You can expect more letters soon.
May Lord Ontor Inspire You in All Things -
Your Humble Student,
Clarissa Mani-Koriat
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