Notice: This version of the Book of Unity is outdated and is in the process of being replaced. It is still being referenced and will remain public for the time being, but it is not canon. When the new Unity is published, this one will be deleted.
Chapter 1
The History of the Manifesto
1 The forward written by Begild of Kythelum, daughter of Queen Algild, for her translation of the Patronic Manifesto:
2 "The religious texts of Espere have been continuously updated in response to new developments. Thus, there is abundant precedent for this new version. 3 I have compared as many versions of the Patronic Manifesto as I could find, in the royal archives and elsewhere. 4 I now present to you the Manifesto in its most complete form, as I understand it, in the words of the new Common tongue. 5 Common is to be learned throughout the nations. 6 Kythelum will thus approach the territory it has extended its reach to on equal footing, rather than impose our own language on others without having to learn theirs in turn.
7 In the interest of scholarship, a history of the Manifesto follows. 8 The Patronic Manifesto in all its forms was created to account for the teachings of the followers of the Patrons of Espere, which seemingly arose as representatives of the four regions of the continent. 9 It was an extension of the Nestorian Manifesto, which remained the base of the text to provide historical context for the rise of the Patrons. 10 Nestori's complaints and addendums were themselves added to the original Codex Manifesto, which collected into one book the Records of Manifest. 11 Each Record of Manifest details conversations between humans and the Manifests, though collation and editing for style has obscured and abstracted the human side of the relationship.
The Contents of the Manifesto
12 This Manifesto contains twenty-six books [now thirty-four], including this Forward, which introduces the text. 13 I have taken the liberty of reducing the books' names to single words, in keeping with the way that they have been referenced in conversation for some time now. 14 For the next nine books, this means I have removed the words 'Record of the Manifest' from before each Manifest's name. 15 The Reflection and The Allusion [Template and Eidolon] shaped humanity. 16 The Relation created the animal life, while The Division created plants. 17 The Transmission altered the work of the other Manifests, while The Ablation undid it when necessary. 18 The Reaction acted as judge, and carried out its own sentences. 19 The Dilation separated the present into multiple timelines, sequestering us from the other planes. Finally, The Prediction [Oracle] set elements of the future into certainty, for better or worse.
20 The Record of the Complaints of Nestori is now Grievances, lending more appropriate weight than the term used in its first publication. It details the reasons for the human rebellion against the Manifests. 21 The Record of the Reprisals explains the battle that Grievances sets the stage for. 22 The Record of the Terms of the Bargain is now titled Nestori, after its author.
23 The Accounting of the Nations is now Nations I. The data are outdated, but remain relevant to the book immediately after the report. 24 The Accounting of the Pulse explains the function of The Heart Stone and the rise of the current Patrons. 25 The Patronic Manifestos preceding this translation varied from region to region, each detailing only the Patron that held sway over the homeland of the author. 26 This book has the Record of the Patron for each of the four, ordered from eldest to youngest. Thus, Patrons I is on the topic of Pan Xuan [whose regalia is the Chalice], Patrons II is on the topic of Ameya [the Archer], Patrons III is on the topic of Dubain [whose regalia is the Target], and Patrons IV is on the topic of Maerkanin [whose regalia is the Wishbone].
27 Additional books have been included in Patronic Manifestos, a selection of which are in this book. 28 Habitus is a code of behavior from Southern Espere. 29 Etherea was a useful exploration of soul and spirit written in Eastern Espere, which I have extended with additional research. 30 Nathair is a tale named for its Southern Esperean protagonist. I have included it in light of its popularity as a standalone campfire story. 31 Aisling [now Ashling] is a journal named for its author, whose travels are of greater scholastic interest.
32 Finally, I have written some original works to round out the Manifesto and make it contemporary for you. 33 Sensibilities is a collection of my observations, including ruminations on Habitus. 34 Royals is a relaying of my pedigree, included in light of certain rumors that do not bear repeating here. 35 The last of this text is Nations II, which presents the new data for reference.
Begild's Closing Statements
36 I impel readers to digest the text as I have translated it with a few things in mind. 37 This is our shared history, written in our now-shared language. 38 We humans have more (and more pressing) reasons to work together than to bicker and war amongst ourselves. 39 Mourn what has been broken. Celebrate as things are rebuilt around you.
40 Yours truly,
Begild of Kythelum.
Chapter 2
Begild's Translated Prologue
1 The world before our world was torn to pieces. 2 Where fragments fell, they began to take root. 3 The blue fragment landed elsewhere, and its work took place there. 4 The red fragment landed in the heart of Espere.
The Manifests Arise
5 Nine facets of creativity manifested; they were made manifest. 6 And once the Manifests were made, they spoke to each other.
7 'We will each be named,' the first one to speak predicted. And it came to pass. 8 The Prediction continued, saying, 'This world will be ours to create, but not to keep.'
9 The Manifest across from The Prediction responded. 'Why shouldn't we keep it?'
10 'You will know before the others,' The Prediction assured The Dilation. 'But first, you will have work to do elsewhere.'
11 And so The Dilation left to attend to its duties.
Humankind Begins
12 'How will we create a whole world?' The Allusion asked. 'I cannot imagine where to begin.'
13 'Then another will act before you,' The Prediction said, indicating The Reflection. 14 'What the two of you create will dominate the planet. Even I will take that form, lifetime to lifetime.'
15 'A form befitting one of us,' The Reflection mused. 'I think I can manage that.'
16 And so The Reflection began to put matter into shapes.
17 'If these are to dominate the planet,' The Allusion decided, 'then they must be able to think like us.'
18 And so The Allusion put information into the shapes The Reflection had made. 19 The first humans breathed and looked around. 20 They each saw that The Reflection looked exactly like them, so they disagreed on The Reflection's appearance.
21 'You are all correct,' The Allusion assured them. 22 'The Reflection looks like you, as you look like each other.'
23 'But we do not look like each other,' one of the humans protested.
24 The Reaction was the one to respond when the human disagreed with a Manifest. 25 Indicating the protesting human and one beside him, The Reaction asked, 'What difference is there between you and her?'
26 The human replied, listing, 'I am a man, and she is not. My body is lighter and hers is darker.'
27 The Reaction scoffed at the shallow response. 28 'You are both human. What difference is there between yourself and me?'
The human could not answer. 29 He did not know how to describe The Reaction.
30 The Reaction pressed on in response to the silence. 31 'The Manifests have the power to create the world. That is the difference. 32 Now, what difference is there between yourself and a stone?'
33 The human answered, 'The stone has not questioned your authority.'
34 'Indeed.' And so The Reaction turned the protesting human into a stone, which remains in the desert even now.
The Assembly Adjourns
35 The Reflection and The Allusion continued working together. 36 The humans had been created in a desert. They supported each other as they made their way out, seeking lands more suitable to inhabit. 37 The Prediction went among them, leading a group to the south.
38 The Relation and The Division saw that only more desert awaited the travelers.
39 'I will go ahead of them,' The Division decided. 40 'Life will flourish on the ends of the land, so that their journey away from the desert is worth the walk.'
41 'You will need time to work,' The Relation said. 'I will keep them busy while you prepare.'
42 The Relation created wild beasts. 43 The beasts were not designed to thrive in the desert. They only tested the humans in their ability to stave off hostile creatures. 44 The humans prevailed, and they ate the wild beasts.
45 When the lands beyond the desert were filled with plants, The Relation allowed the humans to travel without hindrance. 46 It created more wild beasts, and this time they were suited to every environment The Relation picked for them."
Chapter 3
The Manifesto's Additional Contents
1 The story that just began continues in the Records of Manifest, which are translated in the following nine sections of this text. 2 Each Manifest told its own story to the humans who asked. 3 In those first days, humans spoke in the same language as the Manifests, because of The Allusion: 4 The Eidolon had given them their minds. Other languages came from beyond Espere. 5 The prologue to the Records mentions a blue fragment. Many important developments in those first days were her work.
6 The New Begildan Manifesto includes writings that Begild could not have published at the time. 7 Nations II, which details the consolidation of Southern Espere, has been renamed to Annexations. 8 Before it is Monsters, a description of the Soul Crisis that justified the conquest.
9 The original Patrons of the North, East, and South have been reduced from their lofty positions. 10 Apotheosis explains Dubain's fall. It is adapted from the personal journals of Begild as found following her ascent to Patron of the South, followed by an explanation of what happened to her after her last written entry. 11 The book of Shinobu is a record of events in Eastern and Northern Espere, many of which trace back to the book's namesake.
12 Begild's personal research showed little interest in the planes beyond Droswal. 13 Her translations of the popular writings of Nathair and Ashling address the dragons and the giants in some detail, but other sources are required to learn of the remaining two material planes. 14 Folklore is the book of the Fair Folk. Their ways had been discussed by scholars, consulting written records, but I decided that a primary source would be of more use to readers like you. 15 The book of Ruins, however, is not based on my own exploration. I dare not go where it describes.
16 The book of Declarations exists to put in writing the teachings of the Begildan Church. 17 The book of Callers addresses the advent of Dubyre. 18 The book of Aspirations serves as a new conclusion to the Manifesto, calling the reader to act on what they have read.
19 Additionally, the books written or translated by Begild have received editing and clarifications in light of information that has come to light since the drafting of the text. That said, 20 not every piece of information in this book that seems to postdate Begild's deification is an addition. After all, in life, she was known to be an unmatched master of divination. 21 While she could not predict that she would eventually replace Dubain when she set out to correct the Patron's misdeeds, a saying comes to mind that applies to the event. 22 "All's well that ends well."
