I am Quintus Livius Arcanus, archivist at the Archivum Imperiale, or at least I was. I always did my job properly and professionally. However, one day everything changed.
My master told me to examine the inscriptions left over from the old empire and make copies of the damaged ones. So I began examining the inscriptions one by one until I found that record. The record stated that Lucius Valerius Imperator, the first emperor of the old empire, had ordered all old records to be destroyed after descending from the Golden Mountains to the south, and that no records were to be kept regarding events north of the Golden Mountains.
Thinking that this couldn't be true, that someone must have kept records of what happened, I set aside my master's orders and began examining the records one by one. However, the only record I could find was this: "Date: Day 97. By order of Emperor Lucius Valerius, all records prior to descending from these mountains, said to be called the Golden Mountains, were burned, along with the record keepers who objected. This text was written in Renova, the first settlement established by the Emperor's order south of the Golden Mountains; technically, the Emperor's orders were followed."
Well... how ironic. The first settlement was named Renova, meaning 'rebirth' or 'renewal'. Yet one of the first tasks is to erase the old knowledge.
Ahh, Renova... The first city lost in 'the years heralding the fall of the old empire'. Our Great Emperor's first fiefdom, the first place I witnessed his majesty. But why did the emperor not see these inscriptions, or did he choose to ignore them? Why did Emperor Lucius burn the old records? And even had the record keepers who opposed him executed? Why has no one ever discussed these matters until now? Or were they discussed but silenced? Why?
These questions consumed me. After a week without answers, I decided to broach the subject with my master. However, all he did was scold me for not carrying out the orders I had been given and for wasting my time on these 'pointless' matters. So I decided to find the rest out for myself, with the limited information I had. And for the first time in years, I ventured outside the Archivum Imperiale. I don't remember how many years have passed or how old I am. The only thing I know is that I've grown old, and the place I must go is to the scorching deserts of the Solendora continent, north of the Golden Mountains, in Renova. Hoping to find a clue.
I travelled for days, weeks, months; I can't even remember how long it lasted. Without a definite destination, questions gnawing at my mind. Finally, I crossed the Golden Mountains, exhausted, worn out. No one I met or spoke to in the places I visited believed me. "You're mad." they said, "You won't find anything." they said, "You'll all see!" I said.
I wandered through the desert, not knowing which way I was going. Until I found myself in the middle of a sandstorm. In the middle of the desert, I entered a cave beneath a mountain whose location I did not know on the map. Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure if that mountain was on the map. But I was certain that cave was no ordinary place. And I was right.
The interior of the cave seemed meticulously prepared. Had there been a bit more mana inside, I might have suffered from mana poisoning; it was probably meant to keep the weak out. After going a little further, I saw a staircase. After descending the stairs, I came across a door. On the door, there was an inscription that I guessed had been written several thousand years ago. "This is the Ossarium. This is the sanctuary of all knowledge. This is the place all knowledges comes at the end."
I tried to open the door with excitement. What I hadn't realised was that the door was made of granite, 10 centimetres thick. "Where did they find granite for this in the middle of the desert?" I asked myself. After struggling for a while, I managed to leave a gap in the door just wide enough for me to squeeze through, and I went inside.
Inside was a five-storey building. The ceiling sparkled as if adorned with stars, illuminating the interior. Each floor was filled with shelves, and the shelves were filled with books and parchments. But there was one book that stood out from the rest. It sat on the lowest floor, in a place visible from all the other floors. The book looked like the ruler of this place. 'This must be what I'm looking for,' I said to myself. I went down the dusty shelves and perhaps centuries-old stairs to the book. There was an inscription on the pedestal where the book stood. "The Heart of Ossarium".
I dusted off the book. Despite having been here for who knows how long, it hadn't deteriorated. Taking a deep breath, I opened the book. At first, it was blank. I turned the pages, but they were blank too.
Was that all? Had I come all this way for nothing? Was it all in vain? Or had this records been deleted like the others?
I sank to my knees, overcome with disappointment and despair. I got back up and looked at the book again. I began turning the pages one by one. When I reached the middle of the book, words began to appear on the pages by themselves. It was as if the book was speaking to me.
"Here lie knowledge older than the ancient Dragons and the Gods who came from the Sky. Everything that has happened since the beginning of existence. But are you ready to possess this knowledge? If your answer is yes, turn the page and ask what do you want to know; if your answer is no, close the book."
I hesitated for a moment, but overcame it and turned the page and I said "Start from the very beginning". And I began to read the ancient knowledge, now being written anew before my eyes with magic.