Starting from Bruck, nestled in the heart of Isdraia and defying the current of the Elendar, a council of several dozen scholars works tirelessly to gather and document both historical knowledge and contemporary events. Thanks to generous patronage of the mayor, ample resources are available, allowing for an unprecedented scale of archiving. Thus emerges the greatest and most comprehensive repository of knowledge in all of Isdraia. From this endeavor arises an institution that shall henceforth be known as The Omniscient Archive.

Five Darkenings ago, I set out for Fennspring, a settlement in the western reaches of the Fenn Realm. There, I sought to study the culture of the Western Fenn - as they called themselves, at least. It was not the first journey I had undertaken toward the west. My last expedition, commissioned to chart viable transport routes along the Eimh, had taken me only as far as the great gate city of Kuer. This time, my destination lay much farther. I traveled alone now, chiefly to avoid arousing any sense of threat among the already wary Fenn. The companion who had accompanied me on my previous voyage had, in any case, been dispatched northward on an expedition, tasked - together with two other archivists - to approach the Skuhuk.

On my rather arduous journey, I first encountered a merchant along the new trade route in the Twilightslope. Despite my foreign appearance, he treated me quite courteously at first. He showed me two Wolbies, confined in a cage, and offered to sell them to me. When I inquired about the price, he paused suspiciously long before proposing a “special offer.” Later, I was to learn - from a few residents of Kuer one evening - that he had likely tried to swindle me. They also explained that it was, in principle, unwise to simply buy a Wolby. The creatures, they said, had to choose for themselves with whom they wished to live and with whom not. Fortunately, I had declined the merchant’s offer anyway. Yet the sight of those endearing little beings trapped in their cage filled me with a certain sadness.

The remaining stretch of the journey toward Kuer passed largely without incident. I came across a few Fenn patrols - though without any direct contact. Now and then, I heard something rustling through the undergrowth, yet I could not always tell whether it was merely wildlife or a hidden observer. Nightfall unsettled me the most. Still, my campfires seemed sufficient to keep any uninvited guests at bay - or perhaps there were simply no hungry Rougebears or Glimmerwolves roaming nearby at the time.

Somewhat weary, I finally arrived in Kuer. At first, they refused to let me into the city - just like last time! I had honestly expected they would remember me; after all, it’s not every day these long-eared folk encounter a scholar from Bruck. During my previous visit, a brief explanation of my purpose had been enough to gain entry. This time, however, the Fenn seemed even more reserved and suspicious toward me. In the end, I was forced to present myself as a scholar of the Grand Archive - what a humiliation!

After gaining entry, I immediately set out in search of an inn and eventually found one. At the first inn where I inquired about available beds, I was turned away. Whether it was truly full or whether my presence was the cause, I could hardly tell. The landlady, however, struck me as very unfriendly and brusque. At the second inn, I had better luck, though the Fenn there seemed to watch me with a degree of suspicion, keeping their distrust to themselves. Yet I could sense that they avoided direct contact with me. When I took a seat at the counter, the two Fenn to my right fell silent immediately. After a short pause, they changed the subject. Previously, they had been loudly gossiping about another Fenn, but now their conversation shifted to the quality of the beer they were drinking. Afterwards, they spoke of the weather and the coming Skytide, voicing concerns about whether they were adequately prepared for the cold. A little later, they finally left the inn. When new Fenn entered the establishment, they seemed to choose seats as far away from me as possible. When I attempted to converse with the staff, I received answers, but they never extended beyond a single sentence. Only the cook exchanged a few more words, asking how I liked the meal and where my travels were headed.

I remained in Kuer for two Darkenings. I aimed to speak with the inhabitants and to document any changes in the city. The latter proved easier than the former, for it did not require the Fenn to regard me kindly. Nevertheless, I had to exercise great caution while exploring the city. I was surprisingly often subjected to routine checks by the guards - several times a day and rather brusquely. Overall, the Fenn seemed far tenser than during my previous visit, and an unusually large number of troops patrolled the streets. Something was in the air. Compared to my last visit, the defensive structures of the Kueran Fenn had grown considerably. Construction was underway everywhere, as if the long-eared folk were preparing for war.

During my entire stay in Kuer, I managed to question only two residents in any depth. They were fairly young Fenn, whom they claimed to be nine Tides old. I encountered them in the inn, where they had already consumed a few tankards. In their inebriation, strangers seemed less threatening, which worked to my advantage. I was able to speak with them at somewhat greater length about my journey, including the Wolby merchant. However, extracting useful information from the two proved quite a challenge. They kept drifting off-topic and urged me to join more actively in their drinking. Thus, I can report their accounts only with great caution regarding their reliability. Yet they did tell an interesting story. They spoke of an “unexpectedly powerful weapon” located somewhere in the Fenn realm, which was on the verge of “awakening” again. Naturally, I asked for more details, but their drunken chatter yielded little concreteness. At first, I was inclined to dismiss it, but eventually the landlady herself intervened and confirmed she had heard the rumors. She further suggested that it might be a mighty bow, capable of destroying entire cities and armies. By now, it seems to me that this legend is known only in Kuer - or at least, only in Kuer did anyone speak to me about it. When I mentioned it to other Fenn, they appeared utterly puzzled.

To leave Kuer and head toward the interior of the realm, I had to part with the majority of my travel funds. Apparently, these long-eared folk had grown rather fond of their Dar. And so I continued my journey. My first aim was to reach Weiler, to make a brief stop and inquire about the exact route to Fennspring. Yet I would not reach Fennspring on this journey - I only learned that it lay at the foot of the Weltensteig, in the far western reaches.

It all began with yet another long journey on foot. In Kuer, I had restocked my provisions and set out along the Eimh. I observed that, west of Kuer, there was a lively trade in goods. Many merchants were on the move, some even humans, which struck me as quite remarkable. Even more remarkable, however, was that the humans completely ignored me. They simply passed by as if I were not there - a stark contrast to the Wolby merchant along the new trade route in the Twilightslope.

Two Darkenings later, I arrived in Weiler. At first, my experiences were similar to those in the gate city, though the residents of Weiler displayed their dislike toward me more openly. Stern glances followed me wherever I went. No pair of eyes I passed remained free of a dark frown. Even the city guards were particularly unfriendly. One refused to let me in - despite my familiar excuse about the Grand Archive. Only when I showed her a few of my research notes and textbooks did she seem somewhat satisfied. Yet this sense of acceptance did not last long. Later, I had intended to examine some of the workshops more closely. For this, I set out before dusk. I traversed a side street, where I encountered an old and frail Fenn. She had clearly overindulged, though the scent was not of beer but something sweet. Upon seeing me, she spoke directly. At first, I felt elated by her welcoming manner. She asked what I, a stranger, was doing here. I told her of the Archive in Bruck and my expedition toward Fennspring, and I asked her for directions. She showed genuine interest and asked many questions - particularly about the Archive. I kept my answers as vague yet authentic as possible. As she began to explain the route to Fennspring, she suddenly remembered that she had an old map at home and asked me to wait a moment. She lived nearby and would fetch it quickly. While I waited, I pondered how best to broach the topic of the wondrous weapon I had heard of in Kuer. But before long, not only did the old Fenn return, she was accompanied by a group of extremely rude pikemen.

They stated that they had to escort me back to Kuer immediately, as long as I could not produce an official mandate or any other authorization to continue traveling through the Fenn realm. None of my usual stories could convince them. Their brusque manner gave me the impression that, in the utmost emergency, they would not hesitate to use force. Thus, I offered no resistance. Indeed, we set out for Kuer at once, spending the Darkening under the open sky. They did not speak to me - not a word along the way, and not even when I asked questions. And so I remained silent. In Kuer, I stayed only briefly before finally setting out for home. I wished to avoid stirring up any further ill will.

Signed, M. B., Archivist of the All-Knowing Archive, Department of Field Reports and Documentation, specializing in the Fenn Realm