Journal of Annia Sacrata 1

JOURNAL 1 - Arrival

I was one of the first citizens of the Empire to arrive in Valorn. My place among the honored scholars of Oxonia and my position as Second Professor of History allows me certain leverage in matters of discovery. Rest assured, however, I still had to use all that leverage to ensure my place in this voyage. I was accompanied by the General of the Empire, Amphion, as well as two assistants, fifth-year students Arlin and Tertius. I find Amphion himself to be gruff and unaccommodating in most of our dealings, and this journey proved to be no exception. He seemed dead set on making my trip as short and unpleasant as possible. Fortunately, this task would prove to be impossible for even him.

I have dreamed of traveling to Valorn since I began my studies. Perhaps it was the stories of the wonders and barbarians of that land that led to my obsession, or perhaps it was the mere fact that I could not get there- until now, of course. My entire career has been spent pondering what direction the land and culture of Valorn could have taken since the last contact between our two countries. Valorn was in an incredible state of upheaval the last time anyone from the Empire walked those lands, and I am anxious to see what changes have been wrought in our absence.

I am currently staying in an inn in the town of Dundee. The General has gone about his business preparing for the Empress' first visit here, and I am relaxing and planning the rest of my voyage with my assistants. I am told that this Dundee is one of the major cities of Valorn, but that may just be the words of proud citizens. If this is one of their major urban centers, things have indeed changed in these lands. The tales and accounts I have access to back at home speak of grand cities that rival Iscax itself. This Dundee is but a peasant village with only a few dozen buildings- and of those, not even a handful are large enough to accommodate multiple rooms, let alone several stories.

Tomorrow we set out south on our first exploratory journey. I have been informed that there are no civilized areas to the south outside the range of Dundee, but that there are many wonders that might draw our attention.