Chronicle of the Shieldbearer

Part 1

Father,

I completed the journey a week ago, but, as you have asked of me, I have not written to you until I have found something of worth.

I know that you have long thought on a language that is older than any that we have seen prior to the Cataclysm, and I believe I have found it for you. Six scrolls, held bound in ancient leather and bronze, had thin sheets of hammered brass in between the leaves. The lettering upon them was faded red and limned in places with gold ink that flaked off before our eyes. The scrolls were recovered from the lake near Tursh here in the west.

I had the copyist reproduce the fragments so we can both begin our study. I am sending you the originals as I write this. I look forward to your letter with your thoughts on translation.

Your faithful son¹

Part One Translation ("Lycrist" of the Official Vanguard Forums): We who were chosen observed the comet for ? days before we understood its import unto our masters lands. True to our oaths we went forth to ... The -enemy- had indeed come to that place. -He- was skilled with sword and spear and masterful in -his- study of sorcery. -He- transfixed our armor in flames and stopped our spells before they could harm -him-. In the end we defeated -him-, not through arms and magery but through...

Part 2

Father,

We've made progress on the scrolls here. I am concerned that I have not heard from you, but I work on, knowing that you will contact me when you will. We have begun identifying the vowels. Luckily, this language seems to be much like our own. Scrys into the weft of these words has given us some knowledge of the thoughts of the writer. Alchemical work has told us more of the age of these scrolls. Ancient does not begin to explain the age of this script, which I am calling Precursor.

It is certainly an alphabet, which means this is not the oldest writing that can be. We know the picture writing we have found is much older. That said, this Precursor script very well could be the origin of the script we use today. We call this alphabet "Alefbasah," after the likely sounds of the first three letters.

Language back then was similar to our language now. We have diverged and come together. I think we will soon be able to read these ancient words.

Your faithful son²

Part Two Translation ("Fossa" of the Official Vanguard Forums): When we returned we were given gifts of gold bronze jasper and silver also Menjammel and Betkammis who led -us-----given new formed spears of golden bronze with many tokens tied upon them we bowed to our khing it was said by the wise at that time that those two would become great kings and lead our -eastward-----of- -trials-----will come upon us as always there were no signs in the sky of what the trial would be we who were chosen renewed our vows here and always to be- ready for our khing and kingdom

Part 3

Father,

Something eludes us, and someone - or something - has taken an interest in our work here. We stare bloodshot at these papers, and a voice seems to taunt us to find their secrets. We have used magic again to divine some of the letters, but they swim before our eyes when we try to think about their meaning. I understand the ancient words - but a force from without seems to sand my thoughts down to nothing when I think on them.

The people here are beginning to look at us askance. The sun shines, the flowers bloom, the people laugh, but all quiets when I go outside to see the day.

Surely you have encountered such things in your travels, father. Will you not send a word to your son to comfort him?

Your faithful son³

Part Three Translation ("Kalthanan" of the Official Vanguard Forums): Our Khing sent we who were chosen forth with the heroes Menjammel and Betkammis to determine the source of the fireglow to the east. With thunder it came as the comet in the sky left us the fireglow was bright like the moon but golden like the sun and burned on the limb of the heavens. Every night we travel(ed) for _ and 20 days east until we reached the hill lands of the dwarfmen. They too claimed this glow as a mystery and joined a party of their people with our party until we rode with _ and 70 men and our pack train stretched _ flights of the sky. We ...

Part 4

Father,

I had a dream of someone speaking in tongues. It spoke in rhythm to my heartbeat, reciting the Alefbasah.

It spoke, "Alef, bah, sah" and I saw a boy, no older than a dozen years, holding a writing stick covered in ink.

I heard more words, "deef, ee, fa..." and my dreams beheld a comet-filled sky.

"Gell, ha, ai..." and I saw a man ten feet tall sweep aside warriors with little thought.

"Jah, klef, lahn..." and the comet crashed to the earth.

"Miin, noon, oh..." misshapen men walked from the crater.

"Pa, qaaf, ra, seef..." and my eyes were blinded with fire.

"Ta, oon, vef, waw, kha, yosh, zeef..." I awoke.

I fear to sleep again. Why do you not write?

Your faithful son⁴

Part Four Translation ("Kalthanan" and "Tanai" of the Official Vanguard Forums): The Wise One-----showed us the trace of-----comet of the Enemy-----how it had come to-----beyond the hill lands-----Wise One made clear-----greater than that of the Enemy arising there-----He spoke true words-----Our arms would be tested-----call the work done-----On the _ day of our journey-----On the __ day of our journey-----On the ___ day of our journey-----On the ____ day of our journey-----over the hills and-----glow from the skyfire-pit-----blinded us the ring of fires-----fallen star was stillafire and it took many days-----our way through to the pit the comet had dug we faced-----

Part 5

Father,

A messenger has acknowledged you are receiving my letters, but you are allowing no one else to speak with you. I can do nothing now but trust you are doing what you feel is right. I continue to send you the originals of these scrolls, and only hope you will write me when you can.

I am still having dreams... dark and wonderful dreams like the one in my last letter. I see a bright shield, like the symbol of a number eight, and a spear that shines golden in the sun. The man who holds it, Menjammel, is hearing whispers. Dark whispers. The other man, Betkammis, hears those whispers too. I think maybe if I listen, I too can hear those whispers...

I cannot abide not hearing your thoughts on our work! I almost seek to leave this place and go home again. I am compelled, however, as you know I would be. We will not rest until these words from our forefathers are revealed.

Your faithful son⁵

Part Five Translation ("Zenya" of the Official Vanguard Forums): With the dwarfmen sacrificed [sacrifced] and Menjammel and Betkammis lost in the flames, we who remained journeyed [journeyued] home. It took us 100 days to travel home and the glow behind us died in that time. Some of us told the others that Menjammel and Betkammis defeated the -foe-, but many of us were lost in spirit and certain that the glow had quieted of its own measure. The journey through the hills again was [were] difficult and the dwarfmen who dwelt there had [dad] been driven away by the -pitenemy- and their cavehome put to fire. When we returned to the homeland our Khing lay dead and many of our people scattered and lost. Those who dwelt within the pit of sky fire had come to our lands and killed all they could find. We gathered those who would follow and travelled east again as the -dread- -enemy- of the pit had continued on to the west. We who remained armed ourselves well in fear of those who dwelt within the pit, but we saw none of those.

Part 6

Father,

This is the final scroll, and my final letter to you from this place. Words fail me as I contemplate my fears for your safety, and thus I have decided to defy your wishes and go to you tomorrow in New Targonor. The people here look at us strangely, and I know that they have sent riders to the King in New Targonor to have you investigated and the scrolls I have sent to you taken. I can only think that you had somehow foreseen this, and yet I will no longer sit here and wait upon your words.

I think of your safety as I send my most trusted friend to find you and deliver this last original of the Precursors who worked bronze.

Your faithful son⁶

Part Six Translation ("Tanai" of the Official Vanguard Forums): We who remained and those of our people who remain found our heroes Menjammel and Betkammis, they who had defeated the skyfire and quieted the pit. They were weak in flesh having been cloven in many places by those who dwelt within the pit. In accordance with the words of the Wise, we who are the people made them our kings and set forth to the East to a homeland for ourselves. Let it be here remembered in this Chronicle of the Shieldbearer that our kings will make a new home for us and that those who heed these words will remember another ----- coming...

Original page: http://www.thesafehouse.org/vanguard/lore/Content/Letters4.php