1643 ASF

In 1383 ASF, the Seven Scholars returned to Merle, carrying with them the Seven Banes—as well as heaps of new lore.

Even the Scholar of Monsters, who returned as a bag of bones, was survived by travel companions who delivered his extensive research. It’s hard to imagine the sheer explosion of new information assembled in that one year—horizons expanded and knowledge deepened in sharp, dizzying leaps. The Seven brought home lore of Avelliron, of course: buried secrets, hidden peoples, elusive creatures, and maps of its many regions. But they also returned with lore from lands beyond Avelliron: accounts of lost civilizations and strange peoples, far-flung cities, mind-boggling geography, and monsters nobody had ever heard of.

This influx of lore revitalized the Lorekeepers of Merle. Copies were transcribed of every Scholar document. The originals were placed under lock and key in the Conservatory’s main keep, but remained largely disorganized. As the lore piled up, it sparked heated debates amongst how it should be organized. Which lore came first chronologically? Was Starfall considered a historical or geographical event? Should the Crabcow Stampede of 983 ASF be filed under “Monsters” or “Lumacia History”, given that the event was triggered by politically motivated commonfolk?

These questions, among many others, came to blows. Councils, committees, and cabinets formed and fractured. Many strongly-worded letters were written. Eventually, the Presidium of Merle stepped in and demanded order and consensus, else funding for the rest of the Conservatory—which was still under construction—would be revoked. United in fear of losing their home, the Lorekeepers finally agreed… on a few things.

First, they agreed on the “Before Starfall” and “After Starfall” dating system, as previously mentioned. They drafted a sweeping continental map for Avelliron, one still used by Lorekeepers to this day. And finally, they divided the profession of Lorekeeping into seven domains of knowledge: Cultures, Civilizations, Nature, and of course, the four Ms: Monsters, Magics, Maps, and Mythos. Collectively, they became known as the Seven Schools, and helped form the Conservatory into what it is today.

I mean this quite literally. Construction on the Conservatory commenced with renewed vigor, guided by a unified vision of the Seven Schools. At first, it was little more than seven clusters of buildings huddled around the main keep of the Conservatory. But in the subsequent decades, specialized structures were thrown up — for example, greenhouses for Nature and galleries for Maps. Terraces, gardens, promenades, and plazas filled the spaces between the Schools. Too many libraries were built. But over many generations, the Conservatory sprawled wider and taller, its growth as organic, piecemeal, and dysfunctional as any proper castle.

Even before the Conservatory’s spires rose into the sky, Lorekeepers flocked beneath one School or the next. Each School elected an Archlorian, who oversaw its affairs and sat on the Conservatory’s Archloriate. Each School designed their own robes and crests, a hallmark back the Great Library. Each School became a little world unto itself, fraught with its own quirks, agendas, ways of doing things, and of course, petty academia.

By the turn of the 16th century, the Conservatory of Lore and its Seven Schools was beginning to look how it does today. Lorekeepers had come a long way, having once been a nomadic chronicler of Starfall’s wonders and horrors. By 1550, there were myriad ways that Lorekeepers served. They administered the Conservatory, overseeing its affairs and voicing its concerns in the Presidium of Merle. They categorized, verified, and preserved the reams of lore admitted into the Conservatory’s halls. They translated foreign texts, transcribed copies, and penned new treatises. They educated new generations of Lorekeepers, taking in aspiring scholars as young as eight years old. They served as advisors to the wealthy and powerful of Avelliron.

You may be wondering where I ended up—what School I belong to, what functions I served. The answer is all. Or none, depending on who you ask. I can say one thing for certain, though. Across my many years, between other posts and duties, I always came back to one pursuit, one passion. The very same that drove the first Lorekeepers, the First Sage, and the Seven Scholars. The lifeblood of the Conservatory and everything Lorekeepers do.

Travel. Forging new trails, seeing new lands, meeting new peoples. Pushing beyond the maps and venturing where few else will go. Learning the wonders and horrors of our strange, strange world. And most important of all—writing it all down. Capturing it on the page, so that it can be brought home and shared as new, fantastic lore.