Ages of the Sun
Central textual source of Zoner culture
This text is a significant cultural document of the various Zoner cultures. From a mythographic perspective, it is the primary textual source for the rituals and beliefs of the Two Suns solar cult. From a historiographic perspective it matches the Annals of Terragar in providing the most comprehensive and authoritative account of recorded Forbidden Zone history. All learned men and women versed in Forbidden Zone lore must be familiar with this document in some capacity.
But this text has has a third and much more quotidian dimension. It contains a sizable third section known as "Charges and Edicts" in which the verbal instructions of the sun god Mazta are related to his followers in the form of fundamental instructions for agricultural development and production. This portion of the text is by far the most commonly reproduced and widely circulated. Beyond instructions on crop rotations and complementary cultivation practices (combinations of corn, beans, and squash), "Charges and Edicts" explains weather patterns, fertilization processes, ways to access fresh water, and when various crops must be planted and harvested. In addition to this, Mazta tells his followers where natural resources are abundant and what plants have medicinal properties.
Purpose
Ages of the Sun was deliberately written as a cultural touchstone. Its author or authors very purposefully used the book to weave together the disparate elements of Zoner culture. The way in which Ages of the Sun provides practical instructions for life alongside mythologizing narratives that provide ideological justification for those instructions makes it an essential document for understanding the culture of the Two Suns people specifically and the whole civilization of the Forbidden Zone generally.
Historical Details
Background
The Ages of the Sun is thought to be a textual aggregation of oral storytelling traditions as old as the Age of Poisoned Sea and Sky . The third section containing divine edicts may be a later addition to the text because it is the only section that references Visitor-era historical events.
History
Crucially, The Ages of the Sun defined the distinct cultural identity of the Two Sun people. It established their essential origin story; it established the values and limits of Two Sun society; and it determined which linguistic dialect would become the liturgical and administrative vernacular of Zone civilization.
Legacy
The Ages of the Sun remains the most significant document in Two Suns society. Its influence continues to influence all levels of society. It may be found within the sun shrines of Mazta's solar temples and its "Charges and Edicts" are a vital tool for the literate gentry who oversee basic farming activities.
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