[TECHNICAL NOTE: Longer Writings (like this Preface) which might extend beyond one screenful of text will appear (device viewport permitting) in multiple columns, as in an ancient scroll, and may be read by moving the text itself left or right. However, for readability's sake, lists and other apparati are displayed in a single column that moves up and down.]

Two previous selections from the Archives Pertaining to Egderus Scriptor have been made public under the title We Descend, rendered into hypertext form by Bill Bly, Curator. Volume One was originally published as a standalone computer application distributed by Eastgate Systems in 1997; Volume Two was published in The New River, Fall 2017.

Volume Three presents a new selection of writings, but also highlights recent research on the Archives as a whole: unknown writings have come to light; presentation technology continues to transform at an intense and increasing rate; new methods of preparing a writing for publication have likewise developed; and certain assumptions that guided the construction of previous volumes have had to be updated. In other words, nothing out of the ordinary in the realm of literary scholarship in the current era.

Some inconsistencies may therefore be detected when comparing certain narratives between one volume and another; the Curator begs indulgence for that he demurs to smooth out these irregularities until the time and resources become available to prepare what might be called a Deluxe Edition comprising all three volumes. In the meantime, each separate volume offers a portrait of a particular stage in the development of our understanding of these remarkable writings, their authors, the work of previous curators, and the world(s) they all were committed to portraying to us.

Reading this hypertext

As with many hypertexts, We Descend may be read in more than one way.

The simplest method is to follow the PATH that departs from the word "Begin" on the TITLE page; this procedure will take you through about a third of the Writings in this volume. Click or tap "on>>" to go to the next Writing along the PATH, and "<<back" to retrace your steps. (Note that employing the directional controls on your reading device may have a different effect.) When the "PATH" link appears, you may activate it to see all of the Writings in this sequence.

The PATH "tour" will introduce you to all the persons in We Descend and some of their stories. At its end, an interstitial directory called the LANDING will appear, presenting links to the rest of the Writings, to the INVENTORY (which contains a list of Authors) and to other apparati that will be useful in exploring the archives further.

About links in this edition

In contrast to items in a linkList or the navigationLinks at the bottom of every page, links that appear in the body of a Writing generally operate on a semantic basis — that is, a word or phrase in a different color links to a separate Writing, as you might expect; when you arrive, a phrase will appear highlighted for a moment to help you find your place. Nearby will be a related phrase with a link to help you return from whence you came.

However, where you encounter a link in boldface type, that link works *one-way only*; to return from wherever it leads, you will need to use the directional control on your reading device.