Chasm Papers
Sometimes the biggest revelations come from the smallest finds. At least it was a revelation for me!
The Chasm Papers are ten pages are all that remains of a document recovered in the Long Deep ruins in the dark basin of the Grand Chasm. These few pages, while not important on their own, have a lasting significance. It’s through this small bit of information that historians now have a partial glimpse into the inner workings of the Ancient Order.
When you say ‘relic’ or ‘Ancient relic’, most think ‘fantastic weapon’, or ‘magic device’. That’s fine and all but give me papers like these. They are a window into the past and map to better understanding.
Discovery of the Papers
The papers were discovered in spring of 1276 during the fifth expedition to the Great Chasm. Like previous expeditions, wild magic, unexplained lethal energy bursts, and underworld monstrosities plagued the group. But Windtracer Tela Kioni was undeterred.
On the 14th day of the exploration, the group discovered the decimated remains of what had once been an administrative building. Buried inside a partially collapsed room was a small crate with similar properties to the ones discovered at the Tilava Vault. The crate had been magically sealed and protected.
But the unexplained conditions deep within the ruins at the bottom of the Great Chasm had slowly eroded the magic seal. Most of the documents in the crate were destroyed. The handful of ten pages from a journal was all that was saved.
Those ten pages were enough.
Contents of the Chasm Papers
The ten pages are a detailed accounting and correspondence between two people within the Great Chasm region that managed trade, trade tariffs, and similar matters. The ten pages have not been fully translated. Much of what has been translated is in relation to materials and amounts that were being transported through what seems to have been two separate regions with their own governor or magistrate.
In the correspondence, each of the trade administrators discussed the current duties being levied on trade items being transferred between the regions. This was based on amount, rarity of type, and the location of origin for the materials being traded. The word for ‘tariff’ has yet to be translated from the language used by the Ancient Order, but there are strong signs this document may hold the key to such translations.
The trade goods list covered several pages, with notes from each administrator. Again, much of the list hasn’t been translated. But some items have based on comparing them against other relics recovered elsewhere.
Iron, Bronze, Tin, and similar metals were on the list and considered quite valuable. Along with those were what may be references to several types of fish, some of which might no longer exist. The most interesting was what may be names for types of materials that may be metals, but not mined ore. The latter suggests there may be lost mines in the Great Chasm area.
The notes in the margins, if the translations were correct, are fascinating. To me they are strong proof that the Ancient Order used a regional governing system with a market economy. Also, based on those numbers, I am certain those two administrators were skimming off the top of the tariffs being paid!
Type
Record, Historical
Medium
Paper
Authoring Date
Estimated 150 years before the Great Collapse
Location
Signatories (Organizations)
I love the nod to less-fantastic and more mundane history here -- archaeologists find a lot more records than magical devices! :) Good banter among the academics, too.
Thank you! And you are so right. That mundane history can wind up being a lot more important than say a magical dagger! A well preserved pottery shard could be a huge window to the past! Again, thank you! :D