The legends of the ancients mention objects of great power called ‘artifacts,’ which are alleged of divine origin. Many mighty chieftains would depart on unfortunate expeditions, seduced by tales from nursemaids and words once whispered by sages as old as the stars. How many of these artifacts were ever found? How many were examined? The pages on which these ancient myths were written shed no light upon the genuine shapes or numbers of these artifacts, offering nothing but references to dreary and fanciful symbols. And so, chasing old wives’ tales, as thrilling though they seemed, was a fruitless adventure.

As Master of the Grand Keep, I have seen numerous alleged artifacts, but none of them revealed any traces of miraculous properties. I attribute every tale of Monsters and curses I have heard to swamp fumes and dull minds consumed by mead.

Nevertheless, as is my duty, I intend to investigate the legends recorded in this tome and fill in whatever blanks I find with what I have heard during my many distant travels.