The Ysfeto Codex (ɪsfɛto*)
Among the scholar-elites of the Yssians, there are certain uniquely skilled and renowned individuals who toil under the auspices of the satrap pharaohess of Ysfet, Zitziya Achwat. These Tzutlycannite scholars are the keepers of an artefact known as the Ysfeto Codex.
The Ysfeto Codex is considered to be one of the most controversial artefacts in the Known World. This is because its history, location, age, and text implies that the antecedents of the contemporary high cultures and the users of magic are from a far more ancient Qhélssénnish civilization that predates all others on Gruthe. For those who accept the Codex as it is, this means that the *Gzīel people are not the ancestors of the Qh'énns, or at least not solely. The *Gzīel from Tcha may have interbred with the Qhélssénnish, and the Qh'énns may be born of these two groups, but the Qhélssénnish were the first people of Gruthe. This would also explain why so many sites and high culture trappings have Qhélssénnish names, despite the pre-Qh'énnish Ascension northern peoples being considered mere barbarians.
History
Northern Yssian adventurers and explorers, the first of those to reach the Har Mountains, discovered numerous ancient sites in the foothills, the mountains proper, and the great rift valley between the Southern and Northern Har. The most significant of which were a series of steles. The Ysfeto Codex was noted as culturally, historically significant and it was taken from the site and born to then independent kingdom of Ysfeto. Since its discovery, Ysfeto Tzutlycannites have studied it and written volumes. When all of Ys was united and Ysfeto scholars traveled to Tlatl and its Grand Tzutlycan Library, they caused great controversary by holding up the Codex' account of ancient Gruthen history over the established narrative.
Significance
Unlike the standard historical narrative that has human societies on Gruthe developing after the collapse of the Eunchi and dwarven kingdoms, the Ysfeto Codex implies that the Qhélssénns, or at least a group from that number, predate the *Gziel ethnicity of Tcha. Indeed, this posited tribe had an established and culturally complex civilization well before the dwarves settled in Gruthe. The Codex' account tells of an age of high culture, comparable to the levels of the contemporary era, albeit thousands of years before present. The keepers of the Codex, futher posit that the invading *Gzīel mixed with the descendants of the ancient Qhélssénnish.
The Codex argues for these proto-Qhélssénns were the originators of Kaajhai, because of the start simularities between the languages. Leading the Tzutlycannite scholars of Ysfet to posit an alternate progenitor race called the *Qhadjinn (or in Yssian: *Chawatlin).
*/ʲɪsfɛto/ in most other Gruthen languages (the Qh'Raa family: Raachern, Qh'énnish, et cetera).
In Yssian it is called, Iytzawat Ysfeto /iːjʦɑwɑt ɪsfɛto/, "ancient codex belonging to the Ysfet people." Or the Codex of the *Qhadjinn/Iytzawat *Chawatloiyn /iːjʦɑwɑt xɑwɑtɬoiːjn/.
Item type
Unique Artifact
Related ethnicities
Rarity
Unique.
The Ysfeto Codex was taken from the Southern Har Mountain range where Dhaoshee's northernmost border now exists. It was cleaved from the living stone. If other such steles exist, none are known.
Weight
555 lbs.
Dimensions
5'x3'x3'
Base Price
Priceless (although were it to be sold, it might be valuated at minimum: 25,000 yssar)
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