How do you feel about having an optional "fog of war" mod for the encyclopedia?
Having a deep up-to-date knowledge about all the settlements, notables, nobles and heroes just as you start is not very realistic for the time period.
I think it'd be really interesting if we could just have access to a few notable/lords(apart from monarchs and main cities) at first. Then, we'd be able to learn more about the remaining cities/villages notables while we visit those places and interact in the tavern, markets, playing tavern games, completing quests, etc.
Quite more immersive if you ask me, and we would have a point to interact with the NPCs, making them meaningful.