04 - Praneya, the War, and Knowledge
The educated reader will likely ask the following question: if Praneya has maintained its monarchy since before the war, and remained virtually untouched by the war, why haven't they enlightened the scholarly world about the nature of the war? This has plagued scholars for generations. Indeed, this has plagued most of society for centuries, as Praneya's isolationism borders on the paranoid.
Some of my more conspiratorially minded colleagues suggest that the Praneyan people are hoarding their knowledge and technology in order to prevent the rest of the world from economically bypassing them. Others suggest that the Proctor family has held a tyrannical grip on the Praneyan people for almost two millenia and, as a result, the people of Praneya are too cowed to interact with the rest of the world. A third group of more positively minded individuals suggest that Praneya has access to all the abilities and knowledge of the prewar period, but does not share it in order to prevent another war on the same scale as the War of the Gates. Another group argues that the island is a wonder land of magical and technological knowledge, but that it keeps it secret to please only its own citizens. Many different groups have suggested that Gamble is actually an agency of the Praneyan monarchy that works to undermine others' knowledge.
I will deal with each of these ideas in turn. The economic argument makes little sense in light of the Praneyan isolationism. While the island could be an economic power, it rarely exercises any power of any sort related to other countries. The little trading that it does do is only in basic commodities, and it is famous for its fair pricing in both its purchases and the few items that Praneya deigns to sell. Few are the merchants who fail to make a profit when dealing with Praneya. Further, one may note that it was Praneya, with little benefit to itself (aside from positive political ties that it has never used), that helped to build the fledgling nations as they have been established since the war (with the three notable exceptions being Sendousha, Burn, and Gochanrall). There have never even been whispers of Praneyan influence in any other nation's successions, nor has there been a hint of Praneyan market manipulation. This would not be the case if economic power was a goal of the Praneyan monarchy.
The second, third, and fourth arguments can all be dealt with easily. To wit, there have been enough visitors to Praneya over the years to dispel all three of these theories. The idea that the Proctor family has consisted of nothing but tyrants for the past 2000 years seems ludicrous in light of the number of merchants that have visited the island and reported on the friendliness and openness of the citizens (a sure sign that the rulers have not been overbearing, as any visitors to the Asurisian nation of Gochanrall can easily tell you).
Likewise, these same merchants have never reported any outlandish devices or buildings in their visits. If Praneya was home to all the wonders of the prewar era, either as protection for the rest of Volara, or as an opiate for its people, there have never been any reported signs of it. Granted, any military power may well be hidden away from the prying eyes of visitors, but the legends speak of towers that touched the sky and other wonders too fantastical to be true. If that was the truth of the prewar era, Praneya was never a home to such wonders, or it was as damaged by the war as the rest of the world, contrary to what the historical documents tell us. Further, this author can speak of these things with certainty, as I have been one of the few foreign visitors to experience the Praneyan monarch's hospitality personally, though my words can easily be confirmed by merchants' tales in any of the great port cities.
The concept that Gamble works for the Praneyan monarchy seems ridiculous in light of that nation's lack of interest in the rest of Volara's actions. Again, if Praneya were privy to all the secrets of the War and the prewar era, there would be signs. There are none. Praneya seems to know its own history, but little else. It should also be noted that Gamble has, at one time or another, been associated with all of the world's nations, races, and intelligent species, with the possible exception of that strange island people, the Kender. This author suggests that Gamble is the militant arm of some arcane organization, possibly stemming from an underground society in the Kafre'en city-state Salinar, as its magical societies are numerous, and some seem willing to go to any lengths for secret knowledge.
Ultimately, however, we can only speculate as to the reasons for Praneyan reticence. While the king was very cordial, he remained unwilling to speak about the world's past. While he was willing to show me a portrait gallery that contained almost 2000 years of monarchs, he would not tell what any of these previous rulers did. No scholars from Praneya are any more forthcoming. The juxtaposition of Praneyan cordiality and Praneyan secrecy is one of the great oddities of the world (for a complete – though biased – examination of the so-called 'Praneyan conspiracy,' see “Praneya: Friend or Foe” by Tandrigar Colm).
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