As documented in the private books of the High King Prosep, ruler of Bernar (1389-).

Century Council
1408 - "I believe that I have established myself as a leader in the Council's actions. It is just as well. I am not used to sharing power, but this seems to be the only way to achieve my goal of re-unifying Razan. It does not hurt that my compatriots all have more pressing matters on their minds, and true, the Asagmari will have to be banished from the Coast as soon as possible. This may in fact be the best way to go about the matter: Bernar is not in great danger from the Asagmari; if I lead the offensive, we will be seen as magnanimous, looking out for the good of all Razanian people; once the Asagmari are ousted, I will make every effort to keep the Century Council alive, and take a lead role in its development into a ruling agency for the entire Coast."
"As it is now, the Council has one goal: to rid the Razanian Coast of the Asagmari (I will never use the term Aryisa--it is the kingdom of Razan they have despoiled, it is the kingdom of Razan we will recover). We have finally managed to entice every one of the Razanian rulers into the Council's fold. But our conferences remain bitter... We all agree that we must destroy the Asagmari, but cannot conclude how, or agree on any details. And every one asks for aid, without acknowledging the need for sacrifice in our battle. I only hope that somehow they will see that we must no longer think of ourselves as if our fates are separate. They are inextricably entwined."
"The Council is like a grove of Orif: they have the power to move almost anything in their way, but they have no direction."

Church Empyrean
1396 - "I have heard the stories of the Church in its glory, and have mixed feelings about missing those days. True, the world seemed closer to Rea (note: I must remember to tell the story to my son again...King Delos received visitation, dedicated his life to Rea, named his son Rea'son in the old tongue (Razan), hardships but blessed...why are there no miracles now to confirm our faith?). But I am glad to have avoided the zealous purges after the Shadow and the Ash ended."
1402 - "The Church Empyrean should remind us of the higher facets of life. Not just right and wrong, which is the domain of the law, but good and evil, the domain of the soul. And it is a powerful force in the lives of the common people--the farmers, the miners, the shipbuilders. However, I sometimes question the activities of the Church. Rea can be followed alone, without an intermediary deigned glorious merely by the Church, an intermediary who (human, and by definition able to make mistakes) may be wrong (note: never let a Provisor read this book). I have heard that at the very least, the kings of Sout, Saragor, Non, and Tesh feel similarly. The Church has a place at the home, and in the lives of the people, but the Provisors do not belong in the court. They should not let themselves be distracted by worldly matters. Those matters have been relegated to the kings."

Military
1407 - "The Bernaric army is as ready as any to battle the Asagmari, and yet I worry about our effectiveness. We are used to skirmishes and raids, this is our military history. Never since Mir have all of our forces been so combined. True, our armies are not in a single location, but managing to communicate so that we can act in accord seems in the realm of the impossible. Each lord, each general commands his own armed warriors, foot soldiers, and archers, formed of the workers on his land. The generals have none above them but their king. We may need to call-to-arms all others who can handle a weapon, to form secondary armies that may look to the defense of their lands. These secondary armies will likely be useless in defending the towns from within, but they may well harrass the Asagmari into retreat, and will stop prolonged looting and the wholescale destruction of farms and towns. There are few ships at sea that could conduct war activities now, but I think it would not be hard to prepare them; they are well-built for the purposes of ramming."
1408 - "King Jengis of Karan has a masterful military mind. In a time without the Asagmari, I do not doubt that he could have unified Razan using force alone. When we are free of the invaders, I must convince him to be of one mind with me."

Razanian Front
1404 - "The Razanian Front is brash in its attacks on the Asagmari. While I agree with them to a great degree, it is still unwise to be so open in our struggle. Perhaps when we can unite in our efforts, that will be the time for oratory, the time for actions in the occupied lands. Until then, it will only bring reprisals on Razanians living under the Asagmari, and perhaps prompt the Asagmari to retaliate before we have even begun."
1408 - "I am finally in full agreement with the Razanian Front. Now that we are at war with the Asagmari, the R.F. acts with the best interests of the serfs in occupied territory. It does not seem to have a figurehead, yet acts with amazing organization. Perhaps the leader is in hiding in Razan. I want the leader of the R.F. on the Century Council."

Trade Conference
1393 - "The merchants are getting powerful. It is to be expected when they have such access to the wealth passing in and out of kingdoms that a bit of it would fall into their laps. But not enough of it is finding its way into my treasury. And now Saragor...the House of Gold wresting more and more power from the king. It is almost as if the king cannot act without passing it through the House. What an absurd concept, the buying of seats...so that only the wealthiest are assured membership. This will not happen in Bernar."
1394 - "The Trade Conference was held in Bernar this year, and I am more confident in the loyalty of the Bernaric merchants. An interesting body...it is composed of every trader who can attend, each with identical say in any matter. The head of the Conference is selected each year by lots, but is granted no power, merely becoming the conductor of the meeting. Then various matters are brought up for discussion, and ballots are cast. Whatever the decision, no one need follow it unless dealing with another member of the Conference who requires it. This year there was also a judgement made upon a certain merchant known for his unscrupulous practices. He was ousted from the Conference of this year and the next 20, no Razanian merchants are to engage in trade with him, and his name will be circulated to all foreign merchants he might contact. It may seem a harsh punishment, but I probably would not have let him escape so easily. The Trade Conference acted in the best interests of all merchants of the Coast, making certain that they do not become known as liars and thieves."

University in Sout
1406 - "The University has not made the mistakes of the Church, attempting to insinuate itself into the government of any lands. All for the best, for Sout and for all of us. Scholars think the world moves more quickly than it does. A professor will discover a new way of calculating his location based on the stars, and be amazed when five years later there are still people using landmarks." 1407 - "If only they would bend their minds to something that would help us defeat the Asagmari. Instead they continue, cloistered as they are, to delve into the meanings of old stories...to concoct new mathematical wonders...to imagine that everything can be found in their private little worlds. No, this is not every professor. But a good number of them."