1363 ASF

In 1343 ASF, the assembled Lorekeepers sent forth their Seven Scholars. Following in the footsteps of the First Sage, these young men and women embarked in all different directions, seeking lore old, new, and lost.

They aimed to see every corner of Avelliron, unearth its secrets, and venture beyond its borders. Nobody was sure how far they would go or what they would find, but all Seven swore an oath. After forty years, they would return to the country of Merle, bringing with them all their lore. Their assembled collections would form the foundation of the Conservatory of Lore, the new home of the Lorekeepers.

After the Seven departed, work immediately began on the Conservatory. In the middle of Merle is the Looking Glass, a tranquil lake that contains a craggy, forested island. It is on this island that the Lorekeepers chose to build. In case you’re wondering about how a legion of scholars could afford their own city, they had buy in from the Presidium of Merle. Flush with money from the spoils of war, the Presidium funded the construction in exchange for a hand on the Conservatory’s helm.

Now, before I continue, take a moment to look at the map of Avelliron. Note how Merle itself is an island. The Conservatory, then, was built on an island within a lake on an island within a lake. Bit of a mouthful, but perhaps it illustrates how Lorekeepers wanted two barriers of water to feel safe from fire.

Conservatory construction immediately encountered problems. Ground breaking revealed a nest of crawling eels. Rough winds on the Looking Glass sometimes inhibited ships from bringing in supplies. But the biggest setback by far was that, thirty years into the construction, ancient ruins from the Orlott, the otterfolk, were discovered beneath the site. With too much already invested, the Lorekeepers had no choice but to revamp new and existing structures to protect the ruins, setting back the project by decades.

At the end of forty years, the Conservatory was only a barebones castle and a small collection of supplementary halls, libraries, and terraces. It was certainly no sprawling city promised to the Seven Scholars at their departure.

But that was all well and good, because the Seven Scholars didn’t return in the manner they had planned, either. For when they returned, they brought home the Seven Banes.