The Rhetorical ULTIMA


THE Foundation

The Encyclopedia Britannia Foundation, known to its members simply as the Foundation, is a not-for-gold research group in the Britannian plane, headquartered in an isolated keep deep in the Serpent's Spine. Founded by Lord Harold Seldon, the Foundation's purpose is to archive all known Britannian historical knowledge for safekeeping, and to produce a set of tomes containing this knowledge for public consumption. Currently, the scribe Saruman is acting as consultant for this author, providing essays on historical matters currently being considered for the next edition of the Encyclopedia Britannia.

Encyclopedia Britannia Foundation The history of the Foundation began with the realization that history, being filled with conflicts, is often rewritten in the image of the victors. In the aftermath of the Gargoyle war and the geological and sociological instability that characterized the next 100 years, Lord Harold realized the need to safeguard Britannia's historical heritage, in the case of an invasion, natural disaster, the advent of another social crisis, or the simple deterioration over time of the truth. In the course of doing his initial research, Lord Harold realized that, as had happenned in the past, Britannia's social situation at that time left the land open for conquest from without. Raising his fears to the Royal Court, Lord British warned Lord Harold that his protests were inflammatory, and asked him to take his research to the periphery of the land where the populace would not be unduly alarmed. And so in the year 0267, Lord Harold and his assistant, the scribe Isaac, left to begin their efforts in earnest in a remote mountain retreat. Collecting other researchers from Minoc and Moonglow, the Foundation soon produced its first volume in 0273, with the first full set of volumes being completed in 0282.

Since then, the Foundation has continued to pursue research into the historical nature and present-day trends of Britannia. One of their most notable successes was their collaboration with the mage Rudyom on the nature and permeability of Blackrock; without their research notes from the Avatar's trip to the land of Eodon, the mage might not have succeeded in producing a spell to affect the substance, and the situation with the Black Gate might have turned out very differently. The Foundation exists to serve Britannia in its time of need. Rumors as to ulterior motives of the Foundation, such as plans to establish a new form of republic after the Guardian wipes the Virtues and Lord British from the face of Sosaria, are completely without merit.




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