Young Writers Society

Espait, Land of the Nine Kings.

The island has long been a powerful force, economically, militarily, but above all, culturally. Its lands are rich in timber, and the coasts form natural harbors; its men are loyal and strong-armed; its monarchs possess an unparalleled thirst for knowledge and an aptitute towards the arts: it is not by chance the saying goes 'wiser than an Espan monarch', as opposed to, say, an Apyrian one!

Within Palace Paideya, Espan monarchs guarded their most prized treasure, the legendary Library of Kings. The first collection is said to have been bought, stolen or otherwise obtained by the founder of the land, King Aesyl. Since then, over the millennia, it has only expanded and grown more vast. However, as their subjects know very well, their rulers are great men, befitting great ideas, but less inclined towards thinking of the little things, the practical things. It is because of this, centuries ago, the Third King, Silva, established a bureaucratic organ, to help him manage... pretty much everything. Thus was created the Order of the Dragon.

Our story begins with precisely this Order: Silva hand-picked the first score from his most trusted, his most knowledgeable, and the tradition has gone on since, though the great Kings of the past are long deceased, and its numbers have dwindeled alarmingly. The mission of the Order is two-fold: to catalog, secure and maintain the works within Palace Paideya, and to seek out the rarest and most valuable tomes, for the glory of Espait. The task is not an easy one, bear in mind. The works within the Palace are many, and, though they are all more or-less effectively catalogued, still many are left unkempt and unattended. It does not help that, around a decade ago, the current Regent of Espait, Nathan, allowed anyone and everyone in Paideya to sumbit works to the Palace. The consequence of this action has been, on one hand, a notable influx of valued pieces of literature, but on the other hand, much more maintenace effort.

Times are dark, friends. Recently, a noble order of Knights was created, and they were dispatched to the farthest corners of the land, and with great enthusiasm did they clear a path for the glory of the Kings. For a time this was good. As this happened, however, a former Knight, though absent, meditated. Now he has returned, and he hopes a fresh number of Librarians will be recruited, to aid the purpose of the Order. His name is Baal. He will be directing the new recruits -- in the grand scheme of things, however, he is but one. Many are needed to keep Paideya splendid. And indeed, none are, perhaps, more suited to the task than the Librarians themselves. You see, when Silva first created the Order, he blessed its members with a special power: that to travel within the literature at their disposal, as observers, and from there learn powers and abilities. It is because of this the Librarians are such a prestigious order, and it is because of this the Order will be able to remind the world that Espait is valid, and strong.

What is it you must do? It's quite simple, really. Baal will be waiting for you at the Palace. There, you will begin your first task, the Initiation. Once you are full-fledged members of the Order, you will embark on greater, and grander quests. The knowledge and power you will gain will grow, and lo, Espait shall be ushered into a new light.

Onwards, friends. For Paideya!