Pathfinder Codices

The pathfinder codices are a series of texts fully exploring specific ecosystems found in the world. A single codex can be written on any number of materials. Some are leather bound books, but just as many are written on scrolls of parchment. Most take on more exotic qualities. Some were found on the inside of animal skins that the Pathfinders used as blankets and clothing. Others were found written on dried out and preserved foliage or carved into dead trees. There is a complex network of caves in The Harrows that functions as a codex. Its walls feature words and highly detailed paintings made using animal blood and whatever dyes they were able to create as Ink.

The variety found in the codices tells a story. Each form a codex can take speaks volumes about the many obstacles that the Pathfinders faced when traveling north. The closer to Ozlith you travel, the more you see the standard leather bound book and parchment. The pathfinders of Ozlith never saw civilization again when they departed. They wrote on whatever long-lasting material they had available. As they ran out of supplies and had to make do, they used their skills to create new surfaces on which to write.

The codices are highly valued treasures to any Warden. The Estoyan Pathfinders are particularly interested in them, likely due to the fact that not only do they possess the largest collection of codices, but also because The Ozolithian Pathfinders are the progenitors of their organization. Each codex reveals more about the world, answering many questions, revealing new and improved ways that nature can be used to one's advantage, and revealing much about how and why changes have occurred in the world we see in the present.

Ecology

Every codex is written with a specific purpose. Some are designed to breakdown elements of a particular ecosystem encountered by the Pathfinders on their travels. These are referred to as Environmental codices. They take a particular region, establish the boundaries of that region, and then magnify to focus on individual elements found within including Flora and Fauna, anomalies found within the region like ruins, unique geography and landscapes that can be easily used as landmarks or are a source of rare materials, and always feature a concise list of available materials found within the region.

While various mineral deposits are always listed, one of the main values of having an environmental codex is its information on the flora and fauna of the region. They reveal information about extinct species, ancestors of current species, and species that currently exist. Usually, there are highly detailed anatomical sketches as well as a list of various materials one can harvest from these plants and animals that can be of use to someone living there.

Environmental codices can be a good source for a more effective poison found in the gland of a particular animal or from the juice of a particular berry. They can also reveal alchemical recipes and will list the most effective ways of taking down examples of fauna that are exceptionally difficult to kill.

The Maladies

The Pathfinders were the first to discover the Universal Maladies that plague the world. The first ever discovered was Universal Philia during the Mhirrian Diaspora. They noticed that time was starting to stretch, indicating this was when Universal Vertigo started to appear.

They encountered Universal Melancholia as they traveled around the area currently known as The Black March, and even encountered Universal Mania, which at the time affected the western coast of Estoya. Much of the knowledge on the maladies known to those in the present comes from the codices and there are many more yet to be discovered.

Invention

Some codices, called hedgecraft codices, feature mechanical drawings, many inventions created by the Pathfinders on their travels. These Contraptions can be weapons, tools, or simply more effective ways of having the simple luxuries of life one would find in civilization while out in the wild. These tips and tricks can help one survive in an environment they're not familiar with. An example would be in the Waiversea and the Waiversea hills where a particular insect is known to thrive.

The Waiversea Codex discusses the insect and reveals one of the most deadly insects ever encountered by the Pathfinders. Pathfinders go into great detail on how the Retjix ( ret-jish meaning death of men) actively seeks out large mammals who are sleeping on the ground. It can strike with its pincer at a high enough force to crush the skull and kill someone instantly. The Pathfinders then lay out information on how to avoid this encounter. They recommend when traveling through Waiversea and the Waiversea hills, one must do so in either a closed wagon, or create a hammock elevated above the ground. This will prevent a retjix from getting to you, but doesn't completely eliminate the risk.

They further explain that by pouring lemon juice on the edges of each side of the hammock will ensure that even the most persistent retjix will not get to you, as the acidity is painful and the smell is something they desperately avoid. The same codex also features designs and blueprints that allow one to use their environment to their advantage and craft tools from the shell of the retjix like dishware and hand guards for weapons.

Fun Fact: The venom in the Glade

Unknown to anyone in the present, there is a reason why Mania is no longer present in Estoya. The Pathfinders banded together to figure out why this radical change in ecosystem was occurring. They eventually found the epicenter of the infestation and within it they found a beautiful, yet terrifying and menacing creature. They came face-to-face with what they called "The Venom of the Glade" who was a collector of the Void. By killing it and destroying its "hive" that served as a source of mania, they nullified the Mania in the region, which slowly began to disappear.