L2K Lore

## Prologue:

### The Benefit of History

To know the things that happened earlier on in this world and the deeds of those, who lived before us on this earth, is not only useful but truly necessary, oh, wisdom-loving reader. If you make a habit of reading these things often you will enrich your mind, you will not be too unskilled in answering little children and simple people when, on occasion, they ask you about the things that happened earlier in history, and you will be no less ashamed when you can answer nothing about these things. Whence will you be able to attain this knowledge if not from those that wrote the history of this world and which, while they may have not lived long, because nobody is given a long life, left us writings about these things for lasting times. To teach ourselves we can not, because short are the days of our lives on this earth. That's why with reading of the ancient chronicles and with the skill of others we must fill the insufficiency of our lives - for expanding the mind. Do you want to stay home and to know without a very troublesome and dangerous voyage the past of the kingdoms of this world and the things happening in them now, and to indulge in this knowledge as an intellectual feast and benefit for yourself and others - read the history. Do you want to see as in theater the play of this world, the change and demise of great kingdoms and kings and the impermanence of their prosperity, how tribes that were ruling and proud among the nations, strong and unconquerable in battle, glorious and revered by all, suddenly fell weak, humbled themselves, perished and disappeared - read the history, and when you know from it the vanity of this world - learn to despise it. History gives wit not only to every man for governing himself and his own household but to the great rulers, as well, for practicing good authority and to learn how to hold their subjects in obedience, quietness, justice and piety. How to calm and weed out mutineers, how to oppose the foreign enemies in wars, to vanquish them and enter into peace. See how great is the benefit of history.

In short that is what King Raul, who unified the Aden Kingdom said to his son - Travis. Advising him he said - "do not stop", he recited, "reading the history of the ancients, because there, without much effort, you will find that, which many labored a lot for. From them you will know the virtues of the just and the crimes of the wicked, you will know the twists and turns of earthly life and the changes of welfare in it, and the uncertainty of this world, and how even great empires fall into demise. You will muse upon that and see the punishment of the ungodly and the reward of the righteous, be mindful of them!"

Wondrous are the judgments of the gods, unfathomable is the abyss of their decisions for governing this world and the providence with which they steer the kingdoms of the earth, they gift them, they change them, they ruin whatever they want and then rebuild it again. Sometimes it seems that they do not care about us, that they have forsaken us to endless oblivion. But it is not so. But who will attain the mind of the gods and who will follow their council to gather again the scattered and to heal the desolate, that is known only by the gods with their holy judgments.

*The Benefit of History*, from *"Chronicle"*.

As recorded by Alithia the Chronographer, sister of the Monastery of Silence.