Bal-Rathi was the most famous of Pantherian explorers who dedicated his life to charting the known world. Over 700 years after his death, and many of his maps remain the most verified and used in all of Arcus.
Charting an entire planet was a monumental endeavor, and Bal-Rathi didn’t work alone. His mission required the dedicated efforts of countless explorers, cartographers, and scholars all working together.
Knowledge of an area would be amassed and housed within regional archives. These buildings became known as Bal-Rathi Libraries. And for a time, a vast network of these Libraries dotted the lands, with noteworthy information being copied and sent up to higher offices. Local governments, in return for their financial support, would be provided with invaluable information: detailed maps of their regions, locations of precious metals, and other resources.
It was a golden age of exploration and discovery.
Sadly, Bal-Rathi’s exploits were cut short when tragedy struck at sea. With the death of its visionary, the mission faltered. Finances dried up. In the subsequent years, Bal-Rathi Libraries began to wane and shutter, and much of the knowledge held within them disappeared.
It is rumored, however, boarding on conspiracy, that some of Bal-Rathi’s network held together and formed into a secret organization. If this is so, though, then their purpose and motives remain a mystery. For there has been no known resurgence of explorers attempting to chart the remaining corners of Arcus.
