Research

I’ve been doing some research for a new biography I’m working on. This is actually more of a history than a biography, as I’m writing the true history of the People’s Proscript Party. It’s a great honor, and I’m happy to be deep in work already. In fact, I have recently pulled up some ancient Proscript documents written in a long-dead language. There is nothing more thrilling than scanning through words that haven’t been spoken in who-knows-how-long.

Qen nuqran snntnug. Lzz urxeq lug lzz glb. Iahf qen fhfnuq Oanprgnuq Mlfnphu luuhvuyng qelq qen Pshag hi Izlfnp elg cnnu pqhznu vuqrz nlazb Fhuglb fhaurux. Qelq’p ehs zhux qenb tnoq fn. Vprux qenra “lgwluyng ruqnaahxlqrhu qnyeurkvnp.”

This is the first paragraph of a text that I found this weekend while I was doing some preliminary work on the origin of Proscripts. Though my linguistics skills are lacking in some areas, the basic idea begins with the birth of dragons, as they roamed a large valley, belching horrific explosions of fire at one another. This lasted for an unclear amount of time, though the writing suggests that it may have been centuries.

R fvpq elwn zrpqnung qh fb pqvorg lvgrh pohq ozlbrux l qehvplug qrfnp ru qelq yhzg ahhf. Bhv tuhs ehs bhv innz lstslag senu bhv enla bhva hsu whryn? Rflxrun qelq innzrux, huzb bhva whryn rp plbrux qeruxp qelq lan unlazb qanlphuhvp, lug bhv’an ru l ahhf irzzng srqe lvqeharqrnp, lug bhv elwnu’q pznoq ru qsh glbp.

According to the legend above, there were two especially fearsome dragons in this valley, and at one point, they ruled in different dragon kingdoms. One dragon was a beast of great intellect, and the other was a creature of great strength. For many years the dragon armies battled one another, with neither ruler able to best his opponent.

Qelq’p senan R slp qerp snntnug.

This was their rallying cry on both sides. They would charge at one another, roaring with fire and smoke shooting from their jaws. It is impossible to translate their cry literally, though it meant something along the lines of, “Purify the sullied.”

Qenb xhq Layern Ancnz, qhh, cvq znq erf xh pehaqzb liqnaslag, serzn R slp ihayng qh ponug qen urxeq qsryn, lupsnarux kvnpqrhup qeahvxehvq nwnu qen zlqnpq ehvap. Qen nxhqrpqrylz lyqha slp shaqeznpp qh qenf, cvq uhq qen unagb crhxaloena, iha phfn anlphu. Fb whryn anyhagrux slp fhan granyq, fhan pruynan. Erp slp pnzi-hcpnpprwn lug fnluruxznpp. Qenb pls uh vpn iha erf.

Humans who lived on the other side of a large mountain had heard the cry for years, and they had had their crops destroyed by wildfires. Their land shook with the furious rage of hundreds of battling dragons. Soon, the humans were fed up. They banded together to defeat the dragons, and they declared war. However, humans on the opposite side of the valley, beyond another mountain, had also decided to declare war. One day, without having planned together, these humans raced forth to destroy the beasts.

Qerp snntnug flatp hun lug huzb qrfn R’zz nwna hiiryrlzzb srpe R slp Layern Ancnz.

It was a bloody battle, and this was the first time that the Proscripts and the Grotians met. They interfered with each other’s battle plans, and a terrible strife began between the two human civilizations.

R ghu’q tuhs selq qenb lptng erf. Cvq ru fb ruqnaahxlqrhu ahhf, qenb sluqng qh tuhs senan Znwr Slzqnapernzg slp, senan qen Pshag hi Izlfnp slp, seh slp l fnfcna hi qen xahqrlu Vugnaxahvug, selq R tuns lchvq qen anprpqluyn, lug selq qenra ozlup ruyzvgng.

The humans had to retreat, but they took with them a deep distrust of one another, and they continued a lengthy human war that mirrored the endless war of the dragons. Soon, the human war had caused as much suffering for the dragons as the dragon war had caused for the humans.

Qenan slp uhqerux R yhvzg xrwn qenf, lug nwnuqvlzzb – irulzzb – qenb elg qh lyynoq qelq. R ylu huzb rflxrun ehs kvrytzb rq fvpq elwn cnyhfn yznla qelq Layern Ancnz slpu’q l phvayn hi lub vpnivz ruqnzzrxnuyn.

At this point, the dragons chose to end their struggles against each other and instead invade the two human kingdoms. The dragons of great intelligence invaded the Grotian kingdom, and the dragons of great strength invaded the Proscripts. It was clear that neither human kingdom could survive on its own. The leaders kingdoms finally came together, and it was agreed that the humans would fight the dragons as one army.

Cvq R slpu’q znq xh lp l iann onaphu. Uhq yhfoznqnzb. R vpng qh cn l iannzluyn crhxaloena seh sahqn flruzb iha qen Olaqb. Uhs R sarqn iha qen Olaqb huzb, lq qenra yhfflug. Ru hagna qh oahwn fb lzznxrluyn ovczryzb, R elwn qh ovczrpe pnwnalz laqryznp lchvq qen Onainyq, Ovan, Oznlpluq, Onlynivz, Ohovzla Onhozn’p Oahpyaroq Olaqb. R elwn qh gh qerp. R ghu’q tuhs selq qenb srzz gh ri R anivpn.

It was the Grotians who failed to fight fairly. Some sided with the dragons of intelligence, since the Grotian kingdom was never one of great thought. They hoped that they would be accepted and given the power of intelligence by the massive beasts. It was in this betrayal that the Grotians made their fatal mistake. The dragons tricked the Grotians into digging up the legendary Sword of Flames and bringing it to them. This sword was instantly used to kill countless Grotians and Proscripts.

R ghu’q yhughun qeniq, lug R ehon R gh uhq tuhs qen onaphu seh qhht qen Pshag hi Izlfnp. Pqnlzrux rp sahux, nwnu ri bhv lan pqnlzrux iahf phfnhun bhv hoohpn. Cvq R’wn pnnu phfn qlyqryp lug phfn onaphulzrqrnp ru qen olpq ins glbp qelq elwn qvaung fn yhzg. R ylu huzb rflxrun selq qen xahqrlup pnn senu sn’an uhq zhhtrux.

It was Edward Jameson, an unknown fighter for the Proscript army, who managed to free the Sword of Flames from an injured dragon. Within moments, the Proscript hero began to wield the enormous weapon with ease, slicing through every dragon on the battlefield. In the end, the great Edward Jameson was left standing with his Proscripts and only a few remaining Grotians. The Grotian land had been destroyed.

R lf hu bhva prgn, cvq uhq ovczryzb. Qelq’p uhq lu hoqrhu lubfhan.

At that moment, the Grotians left alive dropped to their knees and vowed to serve Proscripts forevermore. In return, Proscripts promised to protect the Grotian race within the safety of its Proscription Zone.

This is one of the most treasured Proscript stories, and I am enjoying every moment of my research. If I’m a little busy now and then, please don’t worry! I’m just up to my ears in what I love to do.