Prologue

1500-1550

In the year fifteen hundred, a man known as "the Philosopher of the East" arrived in a small, nameless country inhabited by a dark haired tribe, who only called themselves the Ahu, meaning "brothers" in their native language. Descriptions of him are vague, but the isolated tribe is known to have regarded him as a god for his light hair and alchemical expertise. By them, he was called Kingu, meaning "Great Messenger". It was not until the seventeenth century that he became commonly referred to as the "Philosopher of the East", with the first recorded use being in The King of the East by Trafalgar Kimbley.

In his book, Kimbley described the Philosopher as a man of "royal stature, befitting one of his rank". However, recent research has contradicted Kimbley's claims of the Philosopher's royal lineage, and it is widely agreed that he somehow mistook "Kingu" for "king".

Kimbley further goes on to write that the Philosopher was of Xerxian descent, an idea which he supports through carefully preserved paintings and meticulously translated descriptions mentioning his "shining eyes" and their "gilded color". However, historians have been unable to either confirm or deny such theories, as the Ahu tribe had neither come into contact with gold nor used a word labeling the color yellow, and as such would have been unable to properly describe the light haired Philosopher, if Kimbley's theory was correct.

Whether or not any of this is true, there is no controversy over the fact of the Philosopher's genius. He taught alchemy first to the Ahu and then to the pilgrims who came to settle the area. The Ahu were quickly outnumbered, but still formed the base of Amestris' population. Their influence can still be found throughout Amestris, in the square jaws and wiry hair of many native Amestrians, though just as many show the light complexion and golden hair of the Western countries annexed by Amestris in its early years.

For as much is known about the Philosopher of the East, ten times more is left to the forgotten ages of history. Every day, researchers unearth ever more about this mysterious figure, buried among dusty scrolls and cobbled-together accounts. He was light of hair, but was he blond or brunet? He preferred long robes, but were they of the Xerxian style or the Ishvalan? There is much we have to learn, and so little to learn it from.

-From The Early History of Amestris: The Philosopher of the East, Book 1 by George Alexander Armstrong, published in 1879

*Author's Note: This is written FOR FUN. I don't expect people to like it - in fact, I bet I won't get too many who are interested. But I was having fun, and it would be sad to deny even one person the chance to like this story. Updates depend on my mood and life, not on reviews and response. Future chapters will be longer, this is just an introduction covering the years before Amestris' official formation. I'm trying to keep everything to canon, so let me know if I start straying. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. Thank you for reading!