The general in-game newsfeed
The fields are dotted with laborers; the harvest time has need of them. At the peak of the day, they pause in their work to seek relief in the shade of the olibanum trees, speaking of the far off events they have heard discussed by the pilgrims who follow The Way of the Road.
This ends Cycle 3 and begins Cycle 4…
The Wolf is a noble beast in the snows of the mountains
But on the plains of the desert he is but a jackal
A Wolf on the peaks poets will speak of fondly
A Jackal on the plains is killed out of hand
This is the nature of things among dogs and men
Who can change it?
The Wolf howls in the north, and the Scythe reaps in the south
If each stays to their own direction
Harmony is found under heaven
“The Wheat Scythe of the West”
A letter from a traveller in Yiwu:
We received hospitality at that place, where they properly follow the rites of Kusinne, and felt much relief at finding the shelter.
There were many pilgrims there when we arrived. As we sat around the fire, a storyteller told the story of An-Kuan and the Snow Leopard, and their escape from the pits of the mountain warlord. The crowd was most pleased at the rendition of the familiar story.
They tell me that travellers from the nearby villages and towns are becoming more common, now that the plague has ended. They say that the physician whose skill defeated the petillance has taken up residence in a fine house in Kucina. Perhaps we shall tarry there on our return journey and see this wisdom for ourselves.
Tomorrow, we plan to press on, hoping to ford the river near Chayi, a town we have been told is at the place where the Gushi and Jushi rivers meet.
An excerpt from a letter from Suojo:
The receipt of grain and rice from home is much appreciated; the shortages here have been causing no end of distress.
I must tell you of the school that has been much discussed here of late; many families of note who happen to have children other than their heir have been contracting with a scholar (known locally for his wisdom) to educate them in things other than their family’s traditional profession. There is talk that they are planning to build an academy of some sort.
An excerpt from The Anglo-American Cyclopaedia, volume XLV:
For example, at the Grand Abbey of Kucina, the practice of the Way of the Book is speculated to have primarily through the work of the copyists of sacred scrolls and the maintenance of devotional literature. Lost texts were sought out for study, as well as attention devoted to copying other manuscripts, transcribing oral accounts. There is some evidence that there was extensive study of the craft of binding and assembling codexes, with sometimes astonishing (to our modern eyes) attempts to preserve them.
This, no doubt, explains the scriptorium and library at the site, the extent of which was documented by the expedition in 1836.
From the Annals of the Oasis Kingdoms:
Despite some tensions between followers of Kusinne and those of Symness on the border between Kucha and Dayuan, the mourning in Aksu for the funeral of Queen Fadya of Kucha was characterized by calm grieving and a quiet celebration of the many benefits derived from belonging to the realm of Kucha and the rule of Queen Shayn.
13th Thermidor, 1836: Excavations of the Grand Abbey of Kucha continue. Our surveying artists have nearly finished mapping out the crypts and postern gate that we discovered in our earlier digs. We have unearthed several weapons bearing sparrow-markings, though their brittle construction has left few intact. Among the cache there was one sword that bore a different marking, a lantern sigil, nearly intact. It will make for a grand display in the museum.
Catalog item #72: Iron spearhead with hooked ribs, Kucha manufacture (circa 2nd century). Lantern sigil markings.
From a commentary on a lost poem by Zuo Fen:
As reflected in these verses, the local customs and laws of Kucha prohibit men from inheriting, though they are entitled to what they themselves have earned. This was a longstanding tradition in that land.
From the Annals of the Oasis Kingdoms:
As the time of Blossoming drew to a close, a regiment of soldiers marching under the green banner of General Zhang Hansi was escorting a caravan through Niya, contrary to the laws of that kingdom.
Each night around their campfires, the caravans huddled closer and speculated about what could possibly influence this conflict…