All Folk Hunger for More

All Folk Hunger for More is a book discovered within the jungles of Mkitos' Garden.

## Description

Examining the social cornerstones of the Tulisian people, one of the most successful Realms of the eastern continent, All Folk Hunger for More examines the Realm in further detail, considering the origins of the cultural focus on calls to action in the name of progress and innovation, with a few key historical examples of individuals that exemplify them. The book's name derives from the lyrics of a popular song frequently sung in Tulis called *Behold!*

## Reading

### Completed by Andrius

If the Tulisians found themselves aligned to the Knightly Virtues of Chivalry so acclaimed and elevated throughout Atral society, there is little denying that the Virtue of Ambition would underpin many, if not near all of their actions. Merchant guilds have wielded power comparable to that of the nobility throughout the centuries, elevated to such lofty statuses by their drive to act and succeed. In truth, these are the underpinning ideologies of the Realm, the official motto to *"Desire. Act. Succeed"*, and one felt from base to top. An eagerness for progress and profit was found in all walks of life within the borders of Tulis. Farmlands are carefully designed to maximise crop yields, mines regular in organisation as to boost quantities of produce lifted from the soil and stone. Explorers often set forth into the wildernesses of Tviatin, Masnga Niai, Stranere and Courrakey in search of the next great source of riches, and while few expeditions truly result in the prizes dreamed of, they remained a popular and respected vocation nonetheless.

Though there is much truth to be found in the assumption that the general populace, whether directly, or indirectly, serves to bolster the strength and stability of the Realm to which they owe allegiance and reside, the Tulisian people are elevated further beyond, and thus the question remains, from where does this drive come? For this, we must look to the first recorded Tulisian, that of Armand Allaire, claimed by his subsequent peoples to be the first of the Truetouched to be chosen - although this is a claim echoed by near every other individual from the original chosen sixteen. While many individuals settled within the lands that they had been created by Aita during her Second Gift, Allaire instead strolled far and wide, finally coming to rest on the banks of the lake that would come to be known as Old Loch. With stretching fertile grasslands to the north, ore and stone rich mountains to the west, vibrant forests to the south and east, and a commanding position on both edges of the lands stretching eastward to create the Penance Peninsula, it was a zeal and deliberate choice, one that promised and provided for much scope and scale of growth to come. Allaire did not make this journey alone, having travelled with Priscilla Lamorral, another of the Truetouched, and for a time the pair courted, before splitting to pursue their own ambitions. In time, the Lamorrals would become stewards for the Allaires, and with the further passage of years, the recent collapse of the Empire of Raq in the west has propelled them onto the throne with the extinguishing of the Allaire line with King Aubin IV Allaire and his heirs in the subsequent civil wars that have ravaged the Realm in recent years. It could be argued, and has been repeatedly with success, that therein lines the danger of unfettered ambition, for with it comes competition in place of collaboration, but overall, such drive and focus for progress and innovation has served the Realm, known also as the Land of the Bold, favourably.

Particularly notable amongst this would be the actions of Natan Borroto, founder of the Ruby Fox, a particularly noteworthy merchant guild that found its origin during the reign of Armand Allaire's son, King Aubin I Allaire. Despite the growing presence of raiding parties in the grasslands of Halholm, Natan worked extensively to secure trade agreements with the Sons of Bodun of Bodunoduron, both by land and by sea. From the lands ruled from the Kjælpunht by King Gunmert and Queen Villili, Natan brought a wealth of natural resources, particularly iron, copper, lead, opals and rubies, trading them in turn for hardwood timbers from the nearby lands of Tviatin and Masnga Niai, a resource highly coveted in the tundra, the Notchbark Woods providing predominantly soft woods in the form of conifers. Overseeing the trade made Natan and the Ruby Fox rich, and as other guilds followed his example by stretching out routes into the Empire of Raq, Tviatin and Lienia. Few have achieved such levels of success, however, the statue of Natan on display within the capital of Brient testament to this fact - for each journey made, Natan kept one ruby, and had the finest jewellers in the Realm fashion with them, one by one, a life-sized statue of himself. More recently still, the taverns of the Silver Trod have continued this legacy and by the time their construction is completed, they will intend to carve a path through the Tvitiani Jungle, securing further trade with the Duchies of Tynd to the south. With support from the Tyndians, it seems likely that such an investment will prove more fruitful than that of Savole in Stranere, as well as bolstering the presence of Tulis on the Ahlusian stage for several hundred more years.