Herbet Patric Galactis

Herbet Patric Galactis was an author and historian during the early Fourth Age, and is responsible for "The Accepted Histories".

Early Life

Herbert was born in the city of Arindell, under the shadow of the great library itself. His love-affair with the written word began in early childhood, though he did not earn high marks in school.

He never attended a university, instead working as a bus-boy in a local resturaunt while continuing to live with his parents. During these years he spent all of his leasure time reading and writting, until he published his first novel at the age of 22.

This would launch Herbert into a celebrated career as an author.

Fictional Works

In his younger years, he was a very popular novelist, and wrote some of the most celebrated romance stories of all time. His works always had a historical setting, and he was famous for his accurate portraits of the eras where his stories took place. He was not limited to romance; but covered the entire genre of historical fiction with tales that appealed to all audiences.

Galactis was praised for making history "come alive" through his brilliant and engaging writing style; and it was this praise, he would later say, that drove him to become a great historian.

Historical Texts

Herbert never claimed that his works of fiction were anything else. In his efforts to make his books accurate, he learned a great deal about history, and so used that vast knowledge and his distinctive writing-style to produce textbooks which young people would want to read.

His first attempt at this was a biography of Pendragon Kumono (one of the most influential Pendragons of the Third Age). The book was quite well received and the depth of Herbert's research shed new light on the life and times of Kumono.

His work culminated in a series of volumes called the Accepted Histories, which focused primarily on the Mage Wars and the Golden Age.

Galactis and the Foundation

H.P. Galactis had a strong relationship with the Gudersnipe Foundation throughout much of his life. Though a citizen of the Alliance, he worked hard to ingratiate himself to the Foundation, and was rewarded with special access to some of the Foundation's records and historical documents. Galactis was one of only a few outsiders to visit the School Proper, and is the only-known non-Foundation-Member to be allowed to the school's museum (though his access was limited to walking through part of it on his way to visit a document, it is still regarded as a fantastic opportunity).

Among his various honors, Galactis was allowed to personally view the Boi-Sen Document.

Criticisms

Because of his long career as a fiction writer, much of Herbert's non-fiction was called into question. He always made the point to distinguish between known fact, theory, and his own opinions, and was very meticulous about citing his references and even verifying their references. In fact, Herbert frequently disproved long-held beliefs with his exhaustive fact-checking.

But he was also fond of referencing his own books; not as factual sources, but as more detailed pictures of life in the times he was writing about. He did this partially to boost sales, but mostly to give his readers a bigger window into the past. Unfortunately, this move became fodder for his critics. So too, was his relationship with the dragon Ferrimeso.

Despite his detractors, Herbert's books eventually won out. The Accepted Histories would eventually include all of recorded history, and by the Sixth Age had become the standard historical text throughout the Alliance.