The Realm's Assembly

"In all my travels, I have never seen an organization so loosely defined and yet so deeply united by theology. It was, I was told, a great honor to even be allowed presence within the Assembly Halls itself; outsiders were never permitted. As a historian and renowned scholar, I was afforded a privilege to which even Kings would have been denied.

The Assembly Hall was nothing more than a giant arena. Hidden deep within the Skycatcher Mountains, it took nearly a month for me to scale the peaks alone. Without my guide, I would have doubtless been lost among the endless snowy cliffs and treacherous paths. When we finally reached our destination, I was surprised by the simplicity of the entrance: a small door, no larger than that of any humble hovel, which led directly into a large cavern chamber. Lit by torchlight, the central chamber might seem unimpressive to most; little more than a snowy cave would be. I was asked to leave all my scribing materials aside; the Assembly had agreed only to allow me record what I could see and hear in my mind.

The central hall was filled with dozens of tunnels; I was told each of these led to designated spaces for each of the participants of the Assembly. Upon closer examination, I realized that each tunnel was decorated with intricate carvings of each organization's insignia and symbols. My guide forbade me from venturing further into any of those tunnels. Indeed, no member of any Order was allowed passage into another Order's personal enclave.

While my gaze was still transfixed on the almost-runic sculptings and architecture within the cavern, a tsunami of people entered the central hall, almost like ants converging on their Queen. They conducted themselves with such Order, almost as if the entire assembly was an army, highly trained and finely tuned.

What proceeded was a sight to behold. Master after Master of various styles of martial combat, swordmasters, knights, monks - each a deadly opponent in their own right - began to duel. I watched for hours, saw indescribable things. Finally, there was one champion, one victor who was proclaimed the Voice of the Assembly. I was told that this man, and the man's pugilist Order, would for five years be known as Leader and Commander of the entire Assembly.

Truly, there was nothing so magnificent that I had ever seen in my lifetime.

- An excerpt from the Journal of Sanzo, Scholar.