Codex of Primal Sources

The Codex of Primal Sources is a comprehensive reference catalog of historical texts and artifacts compiled by the Arkaeni scholar Spanico the Sane during his tenure as Head of the Order (1164-1209). The work represents one of the most ambitious attempts to document and locate surviving pre-Purge knowledge in the post-Purge era.

History and Creation

Spanico the Sane spent nearly forty years compiling the Codex, beginning the work as a junior Arkaeni and continuing through his appointment as the 10th Head of the Order. His motivation, as stated in the preface, was to "create a map of wisdom through the scattered fragments of ancient knowledge, that those who follow might find their way more readily."

The Codex was completed in 1203, six years before Spanico's death from Geldish Fever. Only three complete copies are known to exist: one at The Atheneum in Umstrad, one in the private collection of the current Head of the Order, and one rumored to be held in Emperor Vralius's personal library, although there is speculation that a fourth copy exists within the Archive of Enen of the Tethuric Church.

Content and Structure

The Codex is organized into twelve sections, each corresponding to a particular field of knowledge:

• Cosmology and Creation - Texts regarding the formation of the world and heavens
• Primordial Beings - Records of the Eldinar, palanem, and other entities
• Divine Genealogy - Documentation of gods, their relationships, and powers
• Early Races - Historical accounts of the first sentient races
• Ancient Geography - Maps and descriptions from the Befores
• Magical Principles - Theoretical texts on the nature of vorsys/omnicrux
• Ritual and Practice - Practical applications of magical knowledge
• Surviving Artifacts - Catalog of known magical objects and their locations
• Linguistic Records - Translations and cipher keys for ancient scripts
• Natural Philosophy - Scientific observations from ancient scholars
• Prophetic Writings - Collected prophecies and astronomical predictions

Each entry follows a consistent format:

• Name and Description: Title and brief overview of the text
• Origin and Date: Creator and approximate age of the source
• Current Location: Where the text can be found (if known)
• Content Summary: Brief description of key information contained
• Reliability Assessment: Spanico's evaluation of the source's credibility
• Associated Texts: References to related documents

Significance

The Codex is valued not only for its catalog of rare texts but also for Spanico's meticulous cross-referencing system that connects related information across different sources. This allows Arkaeni scholars to identify patterns and consistencies that would otherwise be difficult to discern from isolated fragments.

Perhaps most significantly, the Codex documents the locations of texts housed in repositories that are typically inaccessible to the Arkaeni, such as the Archive of Enen controlled by the Tethuric Church. This has occasionally enabled the Order to petition for supervised access to specific documents or to focus their efforts on obtaining copies through less official channels. Controversial Content Several sections of the Codex contain information that would be considered heretical by the Tethuric Church, particularly those relating to the Eldinar and the existence of magic. Spanico included coded annotations indicating which entries are considered particularly dangerous and should not be discussed openly. The section on the Great Purge contains Spanico's personal theories regarding the unintended consequences of the Eari Stones, including the hypothesis that their creation fundamentally altered the magical ecology of Galwyndor. These speculations formed the basis for later theories developed by the Fellowship of Veridical History. Notable Entries Some of the most significant texts documented in the Codex include:

The Grellist Cosmogony - A pre-Purge creation account housed in the Archive of Enen Fragments of the Eldinar Verses - Poetic descriptions of the Eldinar civilization, location unknown The Palanem Dialogues - Records of Inar-palanem interactions, allegedly in the Vault of Wonders The Meralian Minutes - Full account of the Meralian Accord proceedings, held in the Aeryl-Lothlan Archive Atury's Grimoire - The lost spellbook of the Draol magicker Atury, location unknown The Tal Calar Directives - Instructions for the use of the Eari Stones, partial copy at the Atheneum

Access and Restrictions Access to the Codex is strictly limited to full members of the Arkaeni Order who have completed at least five years of study. Sections dealing with practical magical knowledge are further restricted to those who have achieved the rank of Adept or higher. The Tethuric Church has repeatedly demanded that all copies of the Codex be surrendered for examination and potential destruction, claiming it contains "dangerous falsehoods that threaten the spiritual health of the realm." The Arkaeni have thus far evaded these demands through a combination of political maneuvering and the protection of certain sympathetic nobles.