Queen Ameria Ravakas' Atlas of the Known World
Supposedly this marks every castle, every citadel, every mine, and every settlement of over 5000 souls, and many of the smaller settlements of the end of the Second Age, all with specific latitude and longitude, so these sites can be found even if the forests, rivers, or other landmarks have changed. I highly doubt it included every location of note, but it clearly was the most complete mapping of Scarterra the world had every seen making it priceless to any relic hunter or historian. Yes, a lot of ancient Second Age sites have already been found ,and all too often carelessly plundered, but there are many of Second Age sites not yet known, coverered in centuries of sediment. Finding the Atlas would tell you where you should start digging.We know that Queen Ameria Ravakas' Atlas of the Known World is real, because it ws referenced in the journals of over a dozen Second Age authors. Unfortuantely, we don't know where to find the Atlas or even if any copies of it survived. Queen Ameria was a famous elven monarch towards the end of the Second Age she hired the over a hundred of the best cartographers to map out all of Scarterra.
Document Structure
Publication Status
"If the Atlas is real and if it's still intact somewhere, I doubt it's in a book or a roll of parchment. Some have theorized that there is a hidden spherical chamber with the world map painted on the walls. But if I was a queen with enough gold to hire a hundred cartographers, I would also be able to comission a magical talisman to hold all the information."
Historical Details
Background
If she was seeking trade routes, I believe she would have focused on mapping her friends. Since she wanted to map everything, I believe she had an exploration or archival motive. I doubt the Queen Ameria believed her Atlas would be sought after by treasure hunters millenia later."It is very difficult to find a surviving historical reference to Queen Ameria that doesn't focus exclusively on the Atlas she sponsored, so we do not know what kind of ruler she was. She could have commissioned the Atlas for trade purposes, for war, or something else. If she was seeking power, I believe she would have focused on mapping her enemies.
Public Reaction
A few fragments are sitting in royal vaults or among dragon treasure hoards around Scarterra. Of course there are also lots of hoax fragments of the Atlas floating around too. It takes a wise scholar to sort the diamonds from the rough.-Akeem of Magicland, professor Emeritus of HistoryHypothetically, a complete copy of Queen Ameria Ravakas's Atlas of the Known World woud be utterly priceless. Even a partial copy or even a single page would be worth a fortune. A few such fragments exist. "The Khemarok Fragment" is the best known, it was copied hundreds of times, even I have a copy. It was instrumental in helping find the lost books of the khnumar.
"If anyone offers to sell you a long lost fragment of Queen Ameria Ravakas Atlas of the Known World marking an lost treasure filled city, I assure you that a charalatan is trying to teng you with a forgery." -Blood Mystic Detlef, swordsmen and summoner
"I used to think Queen Ameria's Atlas was just a tall tale, but the more I think about it, the more I think King Drosst has got to have a piece of it. Why else would that undead freak build so many fortresses in the middle of nowhere if not to provide security for dig sites?" Taahir of Marginalland, sell sword captain
Legacy
I'm not sure if a Second Age monarch could have completed such an Atlas in one lifetime though I suppose Queen Ameria was said to have over a hundred expert cartographers working on her project and our own empress has only assigned nine cartographers (and Queen Ameria's explorers didn't have to deal with upstart humans). All things considered, even if it takes several generations, such an atlas is a worthy endeavor to complete.""Our glorious empress has the idea of cementing her name in history by creating her own version of a complete atlas. An Atlas for the Third Age. It's easier said than done though. Her mother the previous empress began this process and it's still less than a quarter done.
Type
Record, Historical
Location
Comments