57323 Cannons: The Victors' Compendium:
By Ornum Decimus Pixyl, a Capitol resident and Hunger Games enthusiast
A glorious Capitol is surrounded by a dozen outlying districts. This is Panem, where the most loved and celebrated festival in human history takes place each year: the Hunger Games. Over the several centuries the games have taken place, they have undergone immense transformation. But what exactly happened in each edition of the games, not only to shape them into what they are today, but to shape our beautiful nation into the cultural identity and patriotic form which it now has?
I have been fascinated by the Hunger Games for my entire life. Ever since I was teenager I have dug through the pages of time to unearth details about the games and victors of years past. I even had the privilege of serving as a gamemaker for several years during my 40s. Now, as I enter retirement, I have set out to chronicle every Hunger Games ever enacted upon the citizens of Panem. The immense volume which you hold in your hands is the fruit of these efforts: my masterpiece, 23 Cannons.
Not every year has been groundbreaking or excellent. Sometimes, a victor emerges by outlasting their competitors in a rough natural environment. In others, a strong fighter or resilient athlete pushes their way to the finish line with tact and style. But every games has something in common: being different from the games before and after. No two years are ever the same and that it was makes them so spectacular. Even so, each chapter of this compendium follows the same format so that readers may quickly and easily find the portion which they wish to view. At the end of each chapter, I have listed how many victors each district has and what their names are.
It is my sincere hope that this compendium provides many with a greater understanding of the games' history as well as the goings-on in Panem during its distant past. Now, I sign away and let you read my opus.
A/N: Welcome one and welcome all to 23 Cannons, my longest and most ambitious work! I published this story nearly five years ago and it is now one of the longest Hunger Games fanfics on the internet. It's easy to see how much I've grown as a writer over the course of those five years; I don't disagree if you think some of the early chapters are pretty shoddy! Whether you're here to take a quick look, read a few chapters, or even dive into the entire thing, I hope you enjoy your stay. 23 Cannons has been a critical part of the last few years of my life and I thank you very much for reading (:
Enjoy!