The Romance of the Unfolding Kingdom (Wayden Edition)

The Romance of the Unfolding Kingdom is an accumulation of tales and history of the Kingdom of Man on the continent of Pethron. Many songs, stage performances and other forms of entertainment are derived from this collection. Some chapters are more well known than others, and successive kings have emphasised those chapters that most support their ambitions.

Document Structure

Publication Status

The Romance of the Unfolding Kingdom can be found in most court libraries in The Kingdom of Men and The Extended Dominion. Typically this will be the Balinger Promulgation (an edition put together and distributed three generations back). The copy obtained by Counsel on behalf of Voychik from Ithar is an earlier edition and contains extra material that has since been expunged.

Historical Details

Background

The Romance of the Unfolding Kingdom was first published as the Kingdom of Men sought to settle the area now known as the Extended Dominion. It was mostly composed of pre-existing histories and folklore relating to the establishing of the Kingdom of Men as dominant in it's region and the activities that had been carried out by it's representatives to civilise the lands to it's east. A tiefling archivist who went by Encouragement was commissioned by the king to edit and aggregate the stories. They were then copied and distributed throughout the land, with the king providing funding for various adaptations of the stories into popular entertainment.

History

In the generations that followed it's first issue, kings have adjusted or erased stories to legitimise their power, or deligitimise other contenders for power in the Kingdom. The version that is currently widespread is the Balinger Promulgation, published about 120 years ago by King Balinger. The editing and distribution was overseen by a courtly scribe who went by the name Prudence.

Differences

The first indication that you're holding an earlier edition of the Romance of the Unfolding Kingdom is the contents page, which lists 134 chapters instead of the usual 114 (in the Balinger Promulgation). Having spotted this difference, you are likely to look to the dedication page (found between the cover and the contents page, but often overlooked). The dedication is to King Wayden, who ruled the Kingdom of Men about 250 years ago. It commends the king for his wisdom in bringing together the wisest advisors and making such great use of their recommendations to bring benefit to the land. The dedication is signed off "Loyalty, Chief of the Royal Philosophers".
A quick scan of the chapter titles quickly reveals ten that are present in this edition but absent in the Balinger Promulgation.
A more rigorous reading of the book may turn up further differences. Some particularly heroic or villanous acts have been attributed to different characters. There are some minor characters that appear in the Wayden Edition that are absent from the Balinger Promulgation and vice versa.
In the Wayden Edition the the book can be broken down roughly into parts: The first 18 chapters deal with ancient history, mostly unconnected stories spread widely across time. Then there are another 23 that deal closely with the time leading up to the establishment of the great barrier. After that there are 34 that deal with events in the time when the land was being civilised but there was no singular leadership. The next 33 deal with the time when the kingdom was being established. The last 26 are from the early times of the kingdom.

The title "Unfolding Kingdom" comes from one particular story, where a travelling sage compares the coming growth of the kingdom to the unfolding of his bundle of belongings. It was written in anticipation of what became the Extended Dominion, but it could be used now to promote the regency taking control of the Eastern Settlements, or to provide a justification for the Kingdom of Men's expansion into adjacent territories.

Type

Manuscript, Historical

Medium

Vellum / Skin