Distinguished scholars, sages, and collectors of lore, I greet you!

We have been charged with the task of assembling a Great Lexicon of our world, comprising all knowledge of that period of instability between the death of the Septarch Quintillian and the formation of the Floating Congress, but especially knowledge pertaining to the causes and ramifications of the Sandalphon Affair.

Lest this monumental task seem daunting, consider the following: our writing is divided into twenty-six glyphs, as is well known. Thus, we can describe our subject one letter, as it were, at a time. First we will all attack A, before beginning B; continuing, comes C... and in this manner, in a matter of mere weeks we shall have transcribed the totality of our knowledge. An unorthodox approach, I know, but one which seems ideally suited to our unique labor.

There must be certain rules, of course, which will be outlined in due course. I wouldn't wish to limit the scope of my learned colleagues' inquiries--far from it!--but the circumstances surrounding the Sandalphon Affair, not to mention the Congress itself, have inspired quite a lot of claptrap and nonsense over the years, and I'm sure none of us wants to perpetuate that. No, I have no doubt that we will shine a clear light of consensus on this needlessly obscure aspect of our past.

—Warmest regards, Iohannes Edgardus Quobertius (K.F.L., O.Æ., F.A.A., &c.)

The World

The technological level of this world is uncertain, but our scanty records suggest that its societies are somewhere between the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution in Europe, with the notable exception of ubiquitous air travel. Sources of inspiration include Final Fantasy (especially the ninth game), Miyazaki's movies Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind and Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and the recent anime series Last Exile. On our side of the Pacific, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow would seem to have some things in common with this world. If it's got blimps, or just generally retro-futuristic/steampunk technology, it's probably relevant.