Allow me to explain and contextualize what you are about to read.
I am 20 years old, and I am a protégé scholar at the Great Capital College, under-classing in the department of non-human anthropology, where I am majoring in cultural studies under my instructor Lady Matilda Bernheart.
My name is Alfied Brandt, but Lady Matilda, calls me “Alfie.” I like that nickname, it’s cute, I am glad she gave it to me; so as you read these many papers please think of me by that name. It’s easier this way anyway, people always spell it wrong or misunderstand me and think my name is “Alfred” or some such, so to save everybody the headache I just call myself Alfie.
What you are reading is my graduate thesis, my grand record and journal of my time studying here. A raw stream of consciousness as a first hand source sent back to the Capital College so it can be used as a record of the culture and customs of the Grand Tribe of Broken Rock: the second largest of the three great Minotaur tribes.
First of all I must give my gratitude and thanks to my instructor, Lady Matilda who gave me this opportunity, few students, if any, get the chance to be sent by their instructor to a study such as this. Fewer still are allowed by their instructor to publish their findings as their own thesis! So thank you so much Lady Matilda for not only giving me this opportunity, but for using your own gold to pay for my trip, and organizing this all on my behalf.
Even if I had the resources and time to go to this tribe I couldn’t have even organized it. My knowledge of the Bovinian language is better than most but it’s no doubt lacking the nuance I am sure it took to convince the Chieftain of Broken Rock to allow me to stay and research. Her weeks of scroll sending are the only reason I am in this carriage headed North at all, so thank you!
To give some context for this trip, the lands to the North East of this great continent of Narvaron have always been the domain of the Minotaur. As far as we knew it never had any concrete ruler like a king or emperor, if we are correct in our assumptions it’s likely because they never had a tribe or clan strong enough to conquer the whole region. If one clan grew too strong the others would simply team up to take them down.
The Minotaur were always distrustful of outsiders, but they allowed humans and elves into their lands to visit and sell. We have much evidence of their culture from centuries ago when trade was known to have occurred. Trade made up the bulk of the interactions with the Minotaur.
But alas, this changed when the White Plague came. All of Narvaron was effected by the plague of course, you don’t need me to tell you that. But the plague was particularly catastrophic for the Minotaur. It decimated their numbers to such a degree that for the first time their tribes stopped fighting and united for the first time. Forming what we call the “Tribunal.” Their first Grand Chieftain: Herrenval Ironmuscle was allowed the prestige to guide all his kin by a tournament of course, where he proved himself the strongest. His first and most infamous order as their new leader was to slam the borders to the Minotaur realms shut, for good. To patrol the borders to their homes with fierce warbands and execute any trespassers and outsiders on sight. A brutal regime for a desperate time. It did work though, as far as we know, which explains why the borders have stayed shut for so long. What is important is that this has been the state of their lands for almost a hundred years straight. Locked borders, and sudden violent raids into nearby towns to raid supplies or even kidnap women. The message was clear to us as outsiders, we weren’t welcome in their home.
But the century passed and here we are, this auspicious year. We aren’t entirely sure the circumstances just yet, but there appears to have been some kind of civil war and the Clan Ironmuscle has been deposed. We don’t know the details, all we know is that the patrols and raids ended almost a year and a half ago, and last month a scroll was sent by a Minotaur by the name of Dalmuth Stonegut who appears to be the new Grand Chieftain, saying that the era of isolation is over and his kin are willing to trade again. The kingdoms of man and elves even got gifts of goodwill which were apparently to act as apologies.
The effectiveness of silver coins and gemstones to soothe the wounds of decades of violent patrols and raids to kidnap human and elf women remains to be seen of course.
But here we are, the third day of spring. I have been on the road for a day, riding by carriage North East to their lands under the instruction of Lady Matilda. The roads are not so…existent the closer one gets to their land. So this carriage will only get me so far. Once I get closer I will have to travel by foot for three days to reach Broken Rock. It will be grueling but I have prepared for this for weeks, and it is spring so the dangers of crossing will be limited, I have plenty of rations and I will be following a river most of the way, I don’t foresee any particular danger, as far as journeys go honestly this is quite the cake walk. I will try to keep my records updated each day of travel, as to make sure there are no gaps in my journal.
I regret to say that these entries as I travel will be sparse on details of the Minotaur as I will mostly be journal keeping to keep my mind sharp as I travel. Please forgive me for this, Lady Matilda says the key to a good journal and record is to keep it honest, as tempting as it is to lie to the reader, use the page as a gateway and allow the reader to see your mind and thoughts as if they were their own. She says it’s because it’s better to show your biases and emotions in your journal rather than hide them, so that way if your irrationality obscures reality, the reader can determine that themselves, and of course your experiences can be cross referenced with any past or future journals.
Plus Lady Matilda says that a journal with personality and opinion, internal monologue and thought just makes for a more interesting and entertaining read, which I agree with. The Gods know how many hours I have spent reading and digesting journals that read as dryly as hard-tack.
Regardless, I hope this journey is as enlightening for you as it will be for me, dear reader. I don’t know how, but something tells me this trip will teach me more about myself than I could imagine. Maybe that’s just magical thinking but…I have a hunch it might just be truer than I can imagine.
~Alfied “Alfie” Brandt.
Art by the wonderful LokiKaze!
Thank you for reading, this story has just been put up tonight but as the artists who’ve offered their hand so far can attest this has been in production for nearly six months, initially I had planned to have this posted last year but life got busy, thankfully now things are calmed down and I can begin to upload. Please let me know what you think and if you like what I have, please share, and as always please give some love to the talented artists who have been offering their pens for my story! A lot of the chapters are actually finished and are awaiting their upload, the only thing stopping that is just the little bit longer I have to wait for the art to be finished on some of them, so please be patient and enjoy this total cocktease from me! I do promise however that Chapter 01 will be up sometime in the next few hours. You have my word!
See you next chapter!
~Broke