August 1, 1953
To the Board of Trustees,
Greetings,
I am worried by the lack of interest that your organization has shown in my recent discoveries. Perhaps if you give my proposal further consideration, you will see the necessity of continuing with another expedition.
After my first expedition to Austria and the discovery of Swooprren's tomb, I made another trip to the same area to further explore those mountains. This time we uncovered a repository of miniature scrolls. On these was written the same language as that found on the tomb. Among these writings, I found a history of one of the greatest empires of Chickentopia, the great Empire of Sebright. This Empire stretched from the mountains of what is now Austria all the way to southern France and even included much of modern Germany. The record of this empire is one of intrigue and betrayal, war and conquest.
Sebright was the name of a town on the Danube river, the inhabitants of which were known for their valor in combat. This town's rise to greatness is best told in the writings of Poulticus, a monk in the order of the Comb. I have translated and included a portion of his work, describing Sebright's first, great leader: Basilï the Great.
In the year of the great grain famine, when the moon had just completed her seventh time, a great rooster of the coop Sebright was out hunting. Like all in that year, he had had small fortune finding food for his coop and family. It was hunger that first drove him forth into the forbidden lands. It is not known what terrors beset him while he traveled there; some say he slew the fearsome Cockatrice, others that he passed through the fires of Glambrildomincrice. Whatever transpired in that cursed land, when he emerged from it he was not the same Rooster that had been driven hence by famine. The Rooster that emerged was Basilï.
Basilï returned to his village, and found a hungry, defiant people. He roused them with words and promises that would make even the most peaceful buzzard take flight and fight. With only two hundred spurbirds at his command, he set out to conquer land. For food and for freedom they conquered Appenzell, Catalana, and Fayoumi. It seemed that none could, nor would even try to stand against the mighty Basilï, and his Iron Spurs.
It was not for another 14 times of the moon that Basilï met his first real challenge, and the first great battle of the Sebright Empire took place. The first army of any size to come against Basilï came from the Redcomb alliance. By the time the alliance challenged him, Basilï's army had swelled to 1,000 Roosters, wielding spur and sling. The Redcomb alliance was intent on quelling this rebellion, and had raised the largest army that had ever been seen on the plains of the north, 10,000 Roosters, all fierce coopbirds of the north. Against this overwhelming force, Basilï arrayed his troops, and gave a rousing speech.
“This day you see before you the might of those who oppress us. We have starved, while they have fed. We have been forced to contend with the monsters of the forbidden land, while they have become fat on the green plains of the north. This day we strut, this day we fly, this day we fight! This day we cry, 'No more!' This day we make a future for ourselves, this day we show that the birds of the south are strong indeed! Fight for land, fight for your coop, and end the tyranny of the north!”
As he finished speaking, Basilï surged forward at the head of his birds, giving his terrible war cry. The army of one thousand plunged headlong into an army ten times its size. The ferocity of the attack took the Redcomb alliance by surprise, sending the front lines into confusion. This was the chance that Basilï needed, and leading his 50 greatest spurbirds, he drove through the center of the enemy, straight to the command coop of the alliance. In an amazing feat of strength and skill, these 51 Roosters overcame the Coopguard, and Basilï himself struck the Combmaster down. With the head of the army gone, the alliance descended into chaos. Just as one cannot function for long without a head, neither can an army fight without a leader. The battle continued for several hours after Basilï's great feat, but the Redcomb army could not make any coherent action, and was eventually wiped out.
With the Redcomb alliance broken, nothing stood between Basilï and his goal of conquest.
The good Poulticus goes on to describe the form of government that Basilï set up, how he ruled and conquered, and his many exploits in battle. Perhaps I shall include more of his writings at a later time, but surely you see now the importance of what I have found. I need to return and search out this mystery more fully. Surely what I have found thus far has shown you this. I again urge you to grant me the funds I need to continue my research into these ancient mysteries.
Sincerely,
Doctor Theodore Norris Fowlstien
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