The Travels and Histories of Theodore Vex

Preface

Until the discovery of a secret cache of scrolls in the ruins of Anslem Cathedral on the river Arga, the "The Travels of Theodore Vex" had long been thought lost to us, it's contents only cited by historians in their work. The scrolls, buried in a grave in the cemetery behind the church, were found after the exhumation of the body of Rolfe the Bright in a vain attempt to find the legendary sword Omega, a relic thought to belong to mythic warriors such as Falko the Great, and rumored to be in Rolfe's possession when he died. While Omega has yet to be found by the religious fanatics who sought it's location, the wealth of lost knowledge discovered in Rolfe's grave was extraordinary. Among the scrolls and books were fragments of a copy of a manuscript of Vex's "Travels". While it is unknown whether this was an original of Vex's own hand, or what the writings were doing in Rolfe's grave to begin with*, it is widely accepted that monk and scholar Eadric of Ash first translated the text and compiled all known sources to present a semi-complete version of the "Travels". Due to the fragmentary nature of the manuscript, certain chapters are missing, such as those that would have contained Vex's time in Ioxas and Ibras. Eadric filled these missing sections with summaries of the information previous monks who had seen and cited the work firsthand had written in their own work, giving us a somewhat patchwork yet, in the end, whole look at the travels.

Born in an unnamed village in Donar's Hills, Theodore Vex (296 - 363 8E) was a Daeschian poet and historian who served as court singer for the Telionic conqueror Nazaratus after his capture at the Battle of Anselm. In his "Travels", Vex chronicles his service to the self proclaimed God King during his campaigns on the continent of Legia, and his travels to the far south. Later, after Nazaratus established himself as emporer of the sprawling Empire of Telion in the final defeat of Elder Ryke's last holds and the subjugation of the independent kingdoms of Legia, Theodore Vex was declared a freeman, and returned to his homeland of Daeschia. There he completed his "History of Daeschia", a project of his that was inspired by his former master's appreciation for regional history and the preservation of native cultures. He then left for Ash, where he lived among the monks at Anselm Cathedral, compiling his "History of Ash". Theodore is then said to have traveled with a group of sailors from Ash in search of the lost island of Crata in the year 363, an ill fated exploration that ended in the wreck of the ship after a devastating storm that left three survivors. Vex passed away with the rest of the crew, and his body was lost to the sea along with whatever it was he may have been writing.

*Historians speculate that the scrolls may have been buried to save them from destruction. Though it is unknown when Rolfe was buried, or if the scrolls were hidden in the barrow before Rolfe's burial, the likely dates seem to coincide with the destruction of Anselm Cathedral at the hand of Barzuz, Nazaratus' son and successor. Barzuz went on a crusade of destruction shortly after his father's death, riding into various provinces of the Empire and burning down culturally significant buildings, monuments, and libraries, most notably the Library at Jauthos and Anselm Cathedral. The monks at Anselm thus may have decided to hide the scrolls in the grave of Rolfe. This might have been done due to the fact that according to Telion tradition, disturbing a grave, especially that of a warrior, might awaken the spirit. Rolfe, being Daeschia's best knight, would be an incredibly dangerous spirit to wake. It is well known that Barzuz commanded that Anselm Cathedral be burned to the ground but that the cemetery be undisturbed.