Githmund Extiez was an heir of Vinumera, author, cartographer, and philosopher. He is most famous for his written works on traditional Marcwith religion and lore, most notably The dominion of the king of Io, The Origin of All and the Comings and Goings of the Divine According to the West, The Monster God Lothes Kol, Customs of the Colossal City, The Color People, and The Emperors of Io. He become the first and only chronicler of the ‘Mysterious West’ and the ancient legends that still prevailed in his time. His is the only documented information that survived turbulent Warring Era and the only stories concerning a direct relationship with the Western half of the continent. Although his work has come under significant scrutiny, his stories are still considered to contain one-of-a-kind knowledge and without doubt he is the most widely published author in history.
Early Life
There are few other authors with the prestige and renown of Githmund Extiez, and yet little is known about him personally. This is partially due to intentional censorship regarding the powerful Extiez family and at least somewhat related to the author's own personal feelings. In the introduction to Customs of the Colossal City, he is quoted as saying that"it has never been my intention to write about family matters, especially those that occur during trying times".
From legal documents dating to his grandmother's reign it seems clear that he was a favored grandchild. After her death and the assumption of his father, nearly all the legalities given to Githmund were transferred to his younger sister. Many historians draw the conclusion, given the dislike between Githmund's father and maternal grandmother, that the boy also suffered from a general dislike from his father.
The relationship between himself and his sister appeared positive throughout their lives. Within his own writing he often praises her as both a leader and a friend, although it would have done nothing for him to say otherwise.
As a youth he studied in Anthropology, a subject that would have been laughable at the time. Outside of Deerless, the other Ka'a'Crede were still thought to be 'higher animals' with intelligence that mimics, but does in no way amount to, that of the Deerless. To gain information from such animals they were studied from a distance while captive slaves, beaten for information, or simply ignored. Self-described as "not the bloodsporting kind", Githmund eventually learned how to communicate with other families in non-violent ways.
Githmund met his first and only wife, at the time a concubine attached to a distant relative, as a young man traveling from his father's territory to the famed Greatest City.
Works
In roughly chronological order, Githmund's most noteworthy works are as follows:
The Dominion of the King of Io
The Origin of All and the Comings and Goings of the Divine According to the West
A Small Detour
The Monster God Lothes Kol
Customs of the Colossal City
To have such limited perception
The Color People
The Emperors of Io
The Cult of King Gaiagara
To Please Your Lord (The Master)
In Opposition of the Gods
Marama and the Great Dispeller
Legends
none so beautiful
Warring Era
Githmund Extiez traveled immensely after his sister inherited the family estate. His trips to the West gained notoriety in his time and his friendship with the people that lived there inspired literary works to rival his own. His accounts of their lifestyles and beliefs, to modern scholars nothing but fantasy, are still the only written material possessed by the mystery culture that has all but vanished from Io.
Widely published in his time, the turbulent country of Vinumera has not allowed much of his original works to survive. Legends, a mere overview of his longer works, is the largest uninterrupted text and also regarded as one of the least important. Probably meant for those with low literacy, the text was meant to engage the reader while selling them on his more extensive collection of papers, both poetic and academic, most of which did not survive the rise of Tamashp in the east.
Death
When Githmund became too old to travel and was confined to his home in the Extiez territory, contact with these miraculous places suffered. Indeed, it seemed that the age of legends was born and died with him.
Legacy
It is agreed upon in the academic community that while his works may not always be seen as scientific, he was one of the most influential authors of all time. Not only this, but his strides to equal rights are celebrated by cultures throughout Marcwith. Statues of him appear in cities, on school campuses, and in parks around the world engraved with the common phrase:
"Undoubtedly the author contributed to many publications that have since been lost."
While this may strike some as a rather pointless effort, denizens of Marcwith seem to find it perfectly applicable to the man who, in times of extreme intolerance and censorship, was able to prove the lasting merit of his beliefs.
Comments