A Guide to Aina pt. 0

~Guide to Aina and Her Constituents~
Being a Concise Reference to the Lands, Peoples, and History of this the Greatest Realm beneath the Gaze of Aether's Eye.

By Pilus Valius, Cleric of Asha the Highest

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Dedication
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Camilla Doxim IV, Ordained by Heaven, Empress, and Mother and Daughter of Emperors,
Inspiration of Faith and Safeguard of Justice, Praise with Great Praisings!
May the Light of Your Wisdom and the Glory of your Reign
Illuminate this Humble Work of Hand and Heart!

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Come to me, Asha, for without you, my resolution falters, and my pen is still and dry, though all the seas were full of ink, and the sky my parchment.

Come to me, Valde, for without you, My Lady and Empress springs from rootless dust, and the Empire is scattered before the winds of war and ignorance.

Come to me, Belnior, for without you, my wit is weak to sort the wheat from the chaff, and my eyes should neither know the true from the false, nor sense from folly, nor justice from prejudice and interest.

Come to me, Moirathe, for without you, I might not know the mysteries of the world, and so blind and in error, I might consume and profance the abundance of your beautiful treasures.

Come to me, Forath, for without you, like a child, I might fiddle and fret, when only through struggle and labor may I craft a work worthy of your name and the name of my patron.

Come to me, Ek-Thor, for without you, I might be deaf to the manswarm murmurings of thy people, and forgetting their need for comfort and wisdom, I might indulge myself in vain scribblings.

Come to me, Vyelnet, for without you, I might forget the ways of our fathers, and preening by the light of latest fashion, my words might tremble like the thin reeds of novelty in the tempest of enthusiasms.

Come to me, Sirlonwe, for without you, my words must lie dull and leaden without the gilding of grace and sagacity to enchant the reader's ear and eye.

Come to me, Tel-Ruhn, for without you, there is neither breath nor beginning, nor can any man live, love, or learn without the spark of your spirit.

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Foreword
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Since the original printing of this Guide to the continent of Aina almost 450 years ago, much has changed.  The guide was originally commissioned by Emperor Valde Doxim, may the glory of his vision last forever, as a way to aquaint the peoples of Atralonia with the breadth of his new empire, as well as informing them about the lands beyond Atralonian borders.  Ancient kingdoms had been overthrown, old lines of royalty crumbled to dust, and the citizenry were frightened by wild rumors and incredible fantasies of the cultures and traditions of neighboring regions.  Truly, the idea of the reinstatement of an Atralonian Empire after lying dormant for thousands of years was strange and held threats of cruelty and corruption.  In his wisdom, Valde Doxim resolved to inform, educate, and reassure a newly-joined nation.