In the early millennia of the Elves’ Fifth Age, the Elderkin convened—the Great Lords of Fae, Feather, Stone, Scale, and Mer. In their ancient, spell-forged halls, they pose the Human Question: should Mankind, youngest of all the World’s peoples, be accepted—or destroyed?

To aid in their decision, they summon a Gnome to give testimony. He is the only Elderkin to have witnessed and chronicled humanity's rise, observing them since their first steps nearly ten thousand years ago. His essays, later compiled into a single text, distill those millennia—from humanity’s humble beginnings in the Stone Age to the brilliant and terrifying present.

“Answering the Human Question” is a tale that chronicles the rise and fall of empires, ages of dark lords and heroes, and the birth of ingenuity in the face of strife—and its consequences. Will Mankind falter and submit to a hostile world, or will it dare to dream of a better one?