✠ Reinhart Rin & The Mysteria Lapis Philosophorum ✠

[Tarmikos1]

Everyone deserves a little magic in their lives

Name: Reinhart Rin
Age: Unknown
Gender: Male
Hair Colour: White
Eye Colour: Light Azure
Skin: Fair
Height: 5,9
Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven, "Dwarven", Infernal

Rin's Main Theme

Appearance
His winter white hair reaches past his shoulders and is messy and unkempt, his long
flowing beard giving a sagely look of wisdom. His eyes glisten and shine with a piercing
azure, they radiate with warmth and compassion to all those who gaze into them, yet seem
to hide something.
The lines on his face etch out a story of his long lived life, and the deep creases in his cheeks
tell of a man who gave away smiles like they were wishes. Yet a more sorrowful face you will
never see. He has the resigned look of one who knows that at his age, life has stopped giving
and only takes away.

He appears to stand at 5,9ft
Personality
Rin is Quiet, kind, and conscientious and has an extremely calming sense about him, he appears almost fatherly
to those he encounters, always being concerned for them and their welfare. He encourages those in doubt and
acts with a great generosity, giving what he has to help those in need.

He can be very Logical, original and a creative thinker. He often knows the strengths and weaknesses of those
he meets after spending a few short moments with them. He can be idealistic which often lands him in trouble.
Rin Highly values knowledge, competence and logic, but above all heart.

Hopes/Dreams/Desires
Rin has lost much over his long lived life, but yet one dream lives on…..and that is for mages of all sorts to work
together, for the pursuit of knowledge and protection, a guild dedicated to the collection, preservation, and
distribution of magical knowledge.

A place to feel safe and share ideas and thoughts, where each member’s freewill and right to their ideas is respected
and listened too.

One of his greatest dreams is to see embrace his granddaughter once more.
Fears/weaknesses
Rin’s greatest fear is also his greatest weakness, his loved ones and failing to protect those he loves and cares for, which
he has failed to do throughout his life….a repeating pattern he seeks to change.
Background/Early life and later life
Where and when Rin was born is something only he knows and doesn’t share, what is known is that he spent
his early adult years travelling various lands, and serving different kings and lords as a wise man, sage or court wizard.
He embarked on a great many adventures, and on one such adventure he would meet his future wife of whom he
had a child with, a daughter which he named Rhoslyn. Both he and his wife possessed magical talents, which they
passed on to their daughter.

These year’s were the happiest times for Rin, and as Rhoslyn grew into adulthood she too ventured out like her
father leaving Rin and his wife alone, and several winters later returned, she did not return alone however much
like her father and mother she too found love while out in the world, this love was a young man by the name of Kerric.
They married the following summer, and had a child who Rhoslyn named Eliora. And for a while things were perfect for
Rin, but fate doesn’t like perfection and often pushed one to the brink and this is exactly what it did to Rin.

That winter a deadly illness swept over the lands and surrounding villages, Rin first lost his wife to the illness, she
passed away peacefully during sleep, and upon waking next to her one morning, Rin grieved.

During the next two weeks Kerric came to the cottage were Rin lived carrying in his arms the Little Eliora, yet Rhoslyn
was no were to be seen. Rin however instantly noticed the lifeless eyes of Kerric red and sore from tears, he brought news
of Rhoslyn’s passing. He asked Rin to care for Eliora while he grieved, Rin who was also still grieving at the time over the
loss of his wife wanted to be close to family and accepted care of Eliora .

This was the last time Rin saw Kerric, who never did return for his daughter. Rin raised Eliora as best he could, returning a
small amount of colour and happiness to his now grey world.

Over the years Eliora grew just as Rhoslyn did, and Rin like he did before hoping and reaching for those happy memories,
taught Lenore just like Rhoslyn the arts of magic. Upon her tenth birthday he gifted her a spell tome, the very one which belonged
to her mother. Feeling closer to the mother she never had Eliora studied the tome day and night and within three years became a
proficient little caster, Rin had only ever felt this proud once. Like Rin however and like her mother before her, felt the need to explore
and venture out and study the world around her, Rin however had forbidden her from doing so, not wanting to give up or risk losing her.
Children are children however, and they don’t always obey but they do listen…..and Eliora had listened to storied of Rin’s adventures and
of her mothers, and so one silent night crept out while Rin napped.

She ventured to a nearby town and one thing to note was since the illness which claimed many all those years ago, people had come to
blame witchcraft for it. As Lenore walked the streets and alleys of Lychcroft, enchanted by the drunken singing of the men in the tavern
and the still busy streets even at night, came upon a crowd gathered around a bonfire, they were unlike the others, they didn’t sing of joy
nor did they seem happy and content, instead they screamed and cursed and threw objects upon the warm bonfire, and as Eliora came close
and squeezed through the crowd saw a woman, tied to the bonfire….the pyre.

Screaming and begging for mercy the young woman pleaded with her captors as the flames ravished her. Horrified Lenore attempted to escape
the scene, and as Rin had allowed sort to use magic to do so……as the screams of the woman fell silent the crowd turned their attention upon
Eliora, a young girl no more than 13 years of age.

What happened next made Rin what he is today, a broken and hollow man, he lost what he most cherished, both by the cruelty of fate and the evil
of man. And it was upon that day he realised for all his wisdom and power he could not protect those he loved.
The village was visited by Rin not long after, he sought vengeance and he only sought those involved in the murder of Eliora, but as rage goes he
began to blame all around him….finally letting out the anger over not just the death of Eliora, but of his wife and Rhoslyn too as if striking at fate
itself he rendered the town unto ash. And when all was said and done, the only thing that could eradicate his sorrow and despair for her was an idea,
an idea he fully understood.

[Tarmikos1]

The cruelty of fate is that I must travel without the people I love, as they are
all dead and behind me, as such it is easy to lose your reason for the journey,
and want to turn around.

[Written in Oeridian common in an eloquent style]

My heart has become ashen cold since I lost her, its fires dwindled after
I lost my daughter and wife and now Eliora. Not to illness as I did them, but to
those in the village, they burned her…..and I can only imagine the sheer terror she
felt, the last thing she felt was terror.

Now she rests in her tomb, no harp was wrung and no song was sung….darkness
dwells here now, where once the light of sun and star and moon, in shining light
of crystal hewn shown forever fair and bright, and she was there undimmed by cloud
or shade of night, fair and bright.

Now the world is grey, and the forges of my heart are ashen cold.

My mistakes are many, and for all my power and knowledge I could not save her, I
am weak. If only Emalyn were still here, so might Eliora be too. In my rage I turned
upon the townsfolk, I know now that was a mistake and since the fires calmed there
only mist surrounds the land, it is quiet now as I write this…..I hear not the wind
nor a bird, I feel at times something watches me, maybe fate has plans for me too.

Maybe someone has come to seek vengeance upon me, I can only hope.

[Tarmikos1]

[Written in Oeridian common in an eloquent style]

As I slept or tried to, a noise startled me out of my light slumber, I
threw on my nightgown and investigated. It had seemed the window had
been left open in my absent mindedness and the mists had invited itself in, I
closed the window and searched for the source of the noise.

I found a book upon the floor and as I picked up the small tome I realized
it was Emalyns tome of spells, the one I gifted Lenore, which was when I heard
a single knock at the door.

This shook me, and filled me with terrors I had never felt before and a still coldness
swept over me...I approached the door as I heard another knock, I quickly opened
the door, to find darkness and stillness and the quiet, and presently the overwhelming
mists. For a moment I had dreamt of her coming home and the past’s months being nothing
more than a nightmare, and that I awoke just now from this damned dream, but alas no….life
is not merciful.

I stood there staring into the mist and dark.

And suddenly I saw a small figure standing among the garden shrouded in this mist, upon closer
inspection it seemed to be a young girl. Her hand drawn towards me…..as if gesturing that I come
to her, I did not move when a single word was
spoken, grandfather.

That voice, it could not be but without thinking I leapt out the door towards the figure and as I moved
closer and closer I could not reach her, for every step I took it seemed as though I got no closer, and upon
losing sight of her I look around, now surrounded by this mist and my home not in sight.

I felt faint and dizzy, yet all I could think of was her, my Eliora. I remember no more.

[Tarmikos1]

[Written in Oeridian common in an eloquent style]
I pen this now in a dimly lit temple, hungry and cold, I believe keeping a record of my experiences here will
help in learning of my new home and as a record for myself. I awoke this morning in the rain, I do not know
how I become to be here, but I am no longer in my home. The old forests and little rivers are no were to be seen,
the mountains with the ruins of Euclid no longer in view….replaced with misty cold looking obstacles to the north
and south boxing in this cold grey land.

I arose this morning, picking myself up feeling faint still and stiff, I saw a fire not far from my location and as
I approached several oddly dressed people took notice but soon continued with their task, I stumbled in barely
aware of what lie ahead.

A man I spoke with told me I was no longer upon my own world but on another, such a claim was almost
unbelievable, but I could see the truth in him and besides what point did he have to lie, I managed to purchase
some food and supplies, and quickly sat and began to devour some food, as woman approached me who was
different than these people, she told me these were the Vistani a nomad group who travel the mists, this meant
little to me, what was the mists how do you travel it. Her answers to my questions only bred more questions.
She left after a few hours, I was grateful however for the information, she told me of this land and its continued
blight, about the creatures and the night, about the natives and their fear of the arcane.

I remained here, among the Vistani for a while longer, one of the young woman spoke with me for a while
and explain more in detail of their culture but was not to forthcoming on what the mists are, or what they
mean by traveling it.
 
[An image of a young woman is sketched here]


These people fasinate me, their culture and ways are so strange, yet I enjoy their company
a great deal. Soon however as an the sun stood directly above me and the day came to the middle
of its life, a group all armoured and wielding various weapons of death marched passed, one stopped directly
next to me and asked quite bluntly “Are you a mage” from the warning of the young lass earlier I said what is it
to you, the man replied “We need a mage to help with a cave of creatures along this lake here”.

I agreed believing that making some friends and allies and also getting to see what lurks about make be a wise course
of action, I offered the spell mage armour Sapiens Armum….or as it is called more commonly mage armour, though that
is a simple term, and magicae arma or magic weapon.

They seemed pleased with this, and thanked me as they marched on, one of them however stopped and turned to me, stating
if I ever used Vraja on him he would cut me down without hesitation, I must be more wary about my magic here.
It took us an hour to clear the cave out, nothing more than goblins and kobolds, similar creatures to what I have faced
back home, but it was good to face something familiar still, myself and the others travelled passed the Vistani and to an
opening with a road of which they called the Outskirts, I quickly asked the outskirts of what to their reply of that, point
towards the giant city in front of me.

We decided to look for work and quickly found it, a local guard of the city, called Vallaki hired the group for physical work,
clearing the streets of rubble, informing us the city had undergone a battle recently leaving it in a mess. We walked the streets
being led by two guards, observing the destroyed houses and burnt out homes of people, we eventually came to a street which
had been blocked by a fallen building and told to clear it, we were given shovels and quickly set about cleaning and removing the mess.

About five hours passed, exhausted we removed the last pieces of the fallen stones, wood and glass revealing two bodies, to
our shock one was a little girl, I stood in horror with a familiar pain etching itself across my heart.

That was day in this new land, and while it is true I feel a great loss at all that was familiar to me, I feel something about this place,
something new and old and while I find it hard to put into words I know this I feel a new hope rekindling here.

[Tarmikos1]

[Written in Oeridian common in an eloquent style]

I haven’t written in this journal for a few days, I have been so busy recently I wander where to begin. News seems
to have gotten around not about my magic in general but about the fact I ward the people I travel with, which most
of the other mages I encounter seem to forgo doing at least in any real sense, where I dedicate my magic to protecting
those I travel with, others seem to rather protect themselves or use purely Evocation spells the halfwits. Still these
adventurers remind me of my youth a great deal, and I have greatly enjoyed the exploration of my new home, through it
however I have witnessed and learned of many tragic and saddening events, and the seemingly hopeless situation the people
of this country are in.I learned of the undead beneath the crypts and how they continue to rise, luring adventurers like myself
below to vanquish them, then there is the sewers swarming with rats and dire rats and these shadowy figures I have seen who
transform into were rats.


I was told by a man, that the were rats have a lair and many of the woman who go missing around Vallaki are taken by them,
I do not wish to pen what for, I believe it only to obvious and should the chance arise I will aid whoever helps in slaughtering these
vile beasts.

The most dangerous places I have been to was a place people call the wolf dens, which I believed to be connected to the fishing lodge
in some way, I find it odd almost impossible in fact that an inn so close to a lair of these beasts remain unharmed, not only unharmed but
virtually untouched by them, yet the innkeeper in the ladies rest claims there have been attacks around that area, it raises the question why
they leave the inn alone. The lair held many of the bests within, and at the lowest level of the cavern we came across a ship, the crew
lycanthropes, and a giant beast of a werewolf inside the ship itself, it was a tough battle but we emerged victorious.

I mainly wish to remark about the most dangerous of places I ventured to, with the young party Ethel, Duke, Jordana among a few. Known
simply as the Terg, I have heard this mentioned but am not sure what it is, some type of old fortress. The entrance was located through an old
grave, which I fell into upon discovery. Some of the group open nearby coffins and instantly we were beset by vampires, weak ones but still extremely
dangerous, we fell them quickly and found a hidden door.

To my surprise it opened the way to a huge room, lit by fires but clearly old, and crumbling. We set off deeper into these ruins and I had a feeling of
eagerness, eagerness to know and learn what this place was and how it came to this state, feelings like this are rare in old age.

As we ventured further and further, we fought vampires and undead, golems and ghosts, it was a fearful day, and I trembled onwards with the others,
fearing what may come next. I soon came across a marking on the floor, a runic pattern of arcane nature, one I have seen before in the crypts. I wander if the two are linked.

[A sketch is seen here, slightly worn]

Deeper in we fought an undead unlike the rest, he wore a black cloak and fought hard, he had what seemed like a laboratory of some kind and a huge
tome lay before me, I asked the others to rest for a while, so that I may study this book, luckily they agreed.

[A second sketch is seen here]

We soon found ourselves through the terg and in the valley beyond, we made our way back to the outskirts, beaten bruised but a
little bit wiser, and a little bit richer. I made many notes inside the Terg and will go over them before I sleep tonight.

[Some notes here of specific things found in the terg, and inscriptions found]
[Found upon a statue, nearing the entrance]

[Found upon a statue nearing the second level]

[Tarmikos1]

[Written in Oeridian common in an eloquent style]

I spent a great deal of time with the mage Ashin Luoh, who after some time has revealed his true nature
to me. But who am I to judge, I have yet to see him commit an evil and he has spoken at regret at past
mistakes and told me of his search for love, and of his curse.


We all have a darkness in us, sometimes that darkness takes on a more real and twisted role, he told me
about it and what will happen when he marries and has a child, that he will be no more. I thought this a
sad tale, like many I have heard here.


I did however venture out, after a bandit in sullen woods with a group I knew well….Cernnunos the druid
and a man of nature, he has my respect as well as a new face, I say face yet I have not seen it, she wears a
hood at all times and never removes it, Her name is Lydia.

We fought well and encountered only a few shadows, I warded the group and we set about destroying the
bandits, upon finishing however an argument broke out, funny enough I forget what over.

I remember however Lydia and another eventually coming to blows and her hood being pulled off, revealing
her true nature which I am hesitant to pen down. She fled and we lost sight of her, so we returned ourselves.
I soon found her weeping in the temple behind the pillar hiding, believing others would reject her, she told me
of her past and what she was, and again another sad tale was being told. I felt something for her as though I did
my own Eliora, she reminded me of her. And I felt a kinship of sorts with this young girl and so I told her should
she ever need my help she should just ask.

I remained close by for the first hour to make sure she was okay, though he had a guardian who seemed
to wish her safe and well, Henri an Ezrite I believe.

A few days after I thought of Ashin and Lydia and a terrible thought occurred, a dark one of what both
combined would make, it is something I should put of my mind, it isn’t possible and never will be.
The new year is approaching, and people seemed scared, though I know not what off the days are filled
with horrors and the night nightmares, what could they fear so.

I have spent the past few days talking to Lydia, about her past and her life here what she hopes to achieve,
as we sit in the woods not far from Vallaki she allowed me to test my sketching skills, and spent the day talking.

[A sketch of Lydia is seen here]

I hope I can help the poor girl, she needs someone to help guide her, the path she has set herself upon is
self destructive.

[Tarmikos1]

[Written in Oeridian common in an eloquent style though slightly messy at times, like it was written with a shaking hand]

My last entry was two weeks ago, I regret not writing more but my heart is heavy with failure once
again and I feel as though I should pen what has happened for when my heart does heal, it should
not forget what transpired.


After my last venture I decided to rest, and spent time pouring over the herbs found around Barovia
and paid several people to collect them for me, Ethel included. I learned a great deal from them and
have managed to brew a bulls strength tonics, foxes grace tonics and many more, I will write them out
in greater detail soon, but on to more pressing matters. As the New Year approached Barovia I heard
rumours of a folk tale, one of a creature known as Griswold the Facestealer.


Superstition I thought, but with everything I have seen I would say it has a facet of truth in it. The
townsfolk of Vallaki spent a great deal of coin on salt, for it was told that if you surround your house
with salt and plug your chimneys that Griswold would not be able to enter. More fright was the tale of
Fanton Griswold, who would roam the land on the first new moon of every year, searching for faces to
take, to take from children.

I took note of the price of salt going up, and felt bad for the poor families who could not afford it, I was
told those who cannot afford it normally do not sleep, instead wait for three sharp knocks at the door, and
knowing this was Griswold, they should respond with three sharp raps and two short ones, once this is done
Griswold will attempt to climb the chimney if it is blocked then all is well and he leaves for the next house, if
you do not follow his knocking in kind, he will enter and find the nearest child, taking its face. Why the beast
does this is unknown to me.

I also spoke with Lydia, as a young woman she does not know the cruelty that life often brings but she bears it
so well, I think what she needs is someone to trust, to really trust yet she seems afraid of letting herself trust anyone,
something from her past maybe, I am unsure. I should look more into this.

This is what I have been wanting to write about all week, but haven’t found the time, myself Duke, Ethel and many
others went to the Balinok mountains and climbed to mount Ghakis I believe it was called, where we found ice creatures…..
animated by magic of some kind, the mountain was cold and many fell to it, let alone the creatures we face, the fight was
hard but eventually we emerged victorious and I would like to note that in these caves we found nothing to interesting,
we did however make some coin from the venture and while the others made their way down I find a small opening and
climbed down, I found down a steep and icy path a huge crystal, unlike anything I have ever seen, cold to the touch and
as I look into it, I feel as though I am being watched back…..It is not a pun when I say I felt a shiver go down my spine,
I returned to the others quickly not mentioning what I had found, fearing it may force the others to return to it, wanting
to see for themselves.

I will return one day to investigate, maybe in the summer when I am not so cold.

Upon the new year a group of outsiders wanted to see if this myth about Griswold was real, so they gathered outside of
the slums, patrolling about by themselves….and as the sun set I thought this was a dangerous task, even if Griswold
was a mere myth the were rats could be a problem, and as luck would have it I heard shouting all of a sudden and a
struggle from the next street, I rushed over thinking could this be Griswold…..is the myth real.

Alas no, I found Duke, and Seraphina fighting were rats among other outsiders. The young woman Chala told me that
a group of poor homeless children had taken shelter inside the abandoned house and a group of us had decided to
watch over them for the night.

As I want to head inside and see the children a scream was heard, not far away….an awful scream, one of utter terror,
utter fear. I did not investigate, I thought it may be more were rats but something about that scream, something was
wrong with it.

The children sat by an open fire inside, and so many people had gathered, like me all outsiders willing to help watch
over these children, I remained with Chala and a few others inside, while Duke and the younger lads who can fight
stood outside, watchful and vigilant. Two hours passed and no faceless man was seen stalking the streets, I thought
it was a myth…and as I doze by the warmth of the fire, the young girl, the Halfling Seraphina began talking, not to
one of us but to herself. A strange and slightly scaring conversation, she spoke of some deal, stating her face for the
children’s of Vallaki, when it hit us she was talking to it…..the monster, the facestealer himself, the others begged her to
ignore it, to look away…..and I, in all my glory stood there, like a helpless old man, without the power or wisdom to say anything.
What was I to do, within moments the girls face vanished and she fell, slowly in my mind, in a daze to the ground. So
helpless, a young girls life taken, and though many lose their lives here daily, this young girl had me here, promising to
protect her from the night, and right next to me, as I watched her life was taken in a blink of an eye.

How can this happen, I couldn’t see him not with an magic…..I couldn’t smell him….nor feel him. I could sense no magic, the
doors where shut. And I, Reinhart Rin….wizard, failed once again with everyone else to protect a single life from a monster.
I thought here I could help those in need, but the past repeats itself it seems and I am left alive, failing to do what I promised….

Enough of this self pity, I failed to protect the girl yet I now know the myth is no myth at all, and even though I did not see him nor did I hear him, I
know this now, and I can act on the name Fanton Griswold, I shall learn of him for the next time he visits the city of Vallaki I shall lay him low and
return him to the earth, not just for the children lost this night, but for all nights and all nights to come.

One thing I didn't mention yet, for it did not occur at the time, but at the top of mount Ghakis I found a temple, a ruin if you will and I managed to find
my way inside, I found a heavy seal covering what I believed the way into the lower levels, and a statue.....the face carved off. I heard from an Ezrite I believe
that Griswolds myth states his home is high in the Balinoks, in a castle of bones. What if that was it, or atleast the entrance to that castle.

It is a far fetching theory, but the statue.....something about it made me think as I write this, that face. Is his castle his home or prison, kept for all time except for one day
of the year, and the question is....why does he seek to take faces from children. Alas is may be in desperation, I have no proof and I couldn't move that slab of stone, it was far to heavy for me to move.

[An image is sketched here, marked the faceless statue and below it is some writing]

[A second sketch is seen here with more writing below]

[Tarmikos1]

[Written in Oeridian common in an eloquent style]

I sit here in the sullen woods, in an old cottage I found deep in the heart of the woods. It is quiet here and
due to the shadows allows me to work in piece, I have recently returned from an uneventful but pleasant
journey to the Balinoks, I journeyed with many people some I knew others I did not but all were pleasant enough.

Jordana lead us off the road and towards a small cavern where we all made camp….inside the caves a lake ran
along its side, so we sat inside this beautiful cave with a campfire next to the peaceful water, one of our number
sang songs while others told stories, compared to recent events I genuinely enjoyed this outing, dawn came to
soon and before we left we checked a nearby valley, bandits seemed to have taken refuge there so we stayed well
away for now and returned to Vallaki.

I bid my companion’s farewell and came here…..while exploring I came across this small cottage, where I now pen
this. It is comfy and warm as I have the fire going, and have even found the time to write down my discoveries into
herbalism, Barovia holds a remarkable amount of flora and fauna. I will write down a few notes as to my ventures
into the brewing I have experimented with.
[A few notes here about certain tonics and their uses, are scattered through the old book, loose pages]

Plantis Et Doxatione
Incipientium

In this paper I will attempt to examine the uses of herbalism, it is my hope that by reading this, people will both
have a greater understanding and appreciation for the art of herbalism, and what the natural world can offer us,
therefore improving both their own lives and the lives of others with it.
 
 
To start off herbalism or herbology is the study of both magical and mundane plant life and the process of turning those
plants into potions, salves or tonics that we use to aid us. I will start with listing four tonics and the herbs required to make
them, what their uses are and where we may find the herbs required to produce them.
 
The most basic of potions any novice herbalist should know are the cure light wounds potion, the potion of endure elements,
the potion of cowardice and the potion of remove paralysis. I will start with what I consider the most important of these four
the cure light wounds. This particular tonic is very common and often simple folk use it to cure wounds or injuries sustained in
field or during their everyday lives, and for such small injuries it is perfect. Because of its easiness to make many adventurers use
it as a means to quickly heal themselves using several of the potions to cure more serious wounds.

So what are the ingredients, and interestingly only one herb is needed but there are four possible herbs that can be used, I call
these herbs the quattuor healing herbs, and they are vicars caps, woundwarts, vistan tears, and fey leaves, and while I cannot
share much on the history of these herbs or why they got their names I can tell you where they are found commonly.

Vicars caps are found in an odd place for a herb with healing properties, for they are always located in crypts or places where the
undead roam, why this is I cannot say. The woundwart herb can be found growing wildly all over the countryside during spring
and summer, again a rather curious name as are vistan tears and fey leaves, both fey leaves and vistan tears are commonly found
growing only in spring. And by using anyone of these herbs and bringing to boil using a cauldron and extracting the properties
into a liquid form you will have created a cure light wounds tonic. I will go into greater detail how to produce the other healing
potions in another paper. The user of such a potion most remember that these tonics only cure light wounds and are not intended
to nor able to cure serious or life threatening injuries.

The potion of endure elements has many benefits, used by folk during winter and by folk during summer, in a laymen’s term it resists
the elements from searing heat to bitter cold, as well as lightning and acid making it extremely useful to adventurers traveling to places
such as Har Akir or high into the Baratak mountains. I have even discovered that this tonic protects against forms of sonic damage. 

To make this wondrous potion you simply need either two troll moss or two beggar’s cups, troll moss can be found high up in mountainous
areas, often in spring and summer and beggars cups are found along tree lines or in forests during autumn. Once heated up in a cauldron the
substance becomes sticky, almost like a varnish but not as thick a substance, once cooled down it should be applied as an ointment to one’s
skin, which will protect you from the elements.

A potion of cowardice allows you to run at unnatural speeds, so as the name implies allows you to flee danger, or a more simple reason would
be to get to your destination quicker. This tonic requires just one herb either wolf tails or bleak caps, wolf tails are found in the wilds during spring
and bleak caps are located all year round in sewers or damp places. This tonic much like the light cure wounds needs to be boiled and turned into a
liquid formulae so as it might be drunk.

Finally the tonic of remove paralysis, this tonic has seen many uses by myself often in curing those afflicted with magic’s that affect the mind or body.
An example would be in the crypts below the temple outside of Vallaki, where a certain undead casts a spell that holds the victim in place. The tonic
must be thrown over the trapped party as to release them from the magic’s hold.

To make this tonic you simply need either two blood berries or two crimson lichen, blood berries can be found outside during autumn and crimson
lichen can be found in damp places again anytime of the year.
[The loose notes end here]

[Tarmikos1]

Weeks have passed by and while I have kept myself busy, that night haunts me still such a sad night, such
a dark night. I am changed however, from the moment I arrived here I was weak, unable to call upon the
arcane power I was accustomed too, the incantations and spells I knew had no effect, knowing this I have
since learned that ,magic is different here, in its very nature….Arcane energies unlike divine roam the land,
for what does the arcane allow us to do but manipulate the world around us, and the very land here is
different….inherently dark in nature, I however have discovered great amounts of knowledge through practical
practice and private study to increase my command of the arcane.

I have spent most of my time buying herbs since spring has just passed, and with my recent earnings managed
to aquire a great deal, my study of the plant life here grows, I have begun a journal noting some of the more
advanced tonics I have made, I'll attach the notes should I ever need them.
[Rin's notes on Intermediate tonics, written into a brown leather book]

[The book ends here]

[Tarmikos1]

A few notes about some of the nearby locations that should be avoided or explored
depending on your outlook of adventure, knowledge and certain death….
The underground fortress often called the “Terg” by locals
This place is huge, constructed some time ago, by the Tergs I believe as I have heard from locals
with folk tales and from some other sources the Terg were a tribe of people or a culture from
elsewhere who invaded Barovia long ago, some say before the mists took the land, if any of this is true.

Anyway the fortress itself is found at the foot of mount Baratak, near an old tower ruin with a few graves
outside, one of them has a hidden path leading to the old fortress, the upper level of the Terg is filled with
Vampires and golems, sometimes wights and stone hounds, a small area is found within the center where
some peculiar runes can be found marking the floor, I made a sketch of this earlier…speaking of which is
awfully similar to the runes found within the crypts, and having seen a vampire use it to disappear leads me
to believe it may be some form of teleportation circle….maybe a network of these are used by the vampires to
quickly move about.

The lower levels seems to contain large amounts of negative energy and from what I can tell seems to be pouring
out of a lower area, I tried to make my way below but thought it foolish, as the negative energies become overpowering…
also found here is a large tome, one which is guarded by an undead mage, should I return I must always be wary of the
trilochs, they cause utter chaos among me and my fellows, heading directly through leads to the upper mountains of
 baratak where the undead fight an eternal battle against the spiders of the mountain. The old fortress deserves proper
research but I feel the current residents would rather I not interfere in their home.
The wolf caves
As far as I can tell this place is quite simple, nothing hidden or to much to discover I recently went below to look at the
ship for any particular markings or insignias and on the way below found a fallen elf, whom I helped and nursed back to
health. The ship found below seems to be a group of sailors or pirates who were cursed with lycanthropy and now reside
with their ship preying on travellers, the leader, and the old captain is the largest of these feral beasts and more violent.
The only thing to note about this place is how odd I find it that the fishing lodge not five minutes away from the mouth
of the cave is untouched, unharmed and unnoticed by the wolves, yet the Ladies rest seems to suffer attacks, why travel so
far for your meal when one is right outside, something is missing there, something unseen.
The crypts below the morninglordian temple

The crypts seem to raise every undead buried within, old knights and warriors from long ago to normal folk and even children….
so it gives for a rather saddening sight. The question many ask, and consider is why the undead continue to rise, so many
outsiders form groups and head below, yet no matter how many they cut down more rise over and over again, some unseen
force spurs them ever on…..an undead march.
The Neureni Caves
More recently, since the Griswold incident I have travelled to places upon the mountain, this time to the south east, known as the
Balinoks…..the same mountain where I found that old ruined temple at its peak, I travelled with an elf, one Fade who I have met
before and she seems like an alright sort, she is a druidess by nature but I must say she is one hell of a tough druid, we travelled to
a place she said was fraught with danger, known as the Neureni caverns.

As we climbed the mountain we strolled off road, and found a hidden pass, the same place I was before with Jordana and the others,
where we had camped not a week ago….I thought the only caverns around here were pass those bandits I saw before, if they were still
there of course.

As we approached the elf asked me to ward her as best I could and told me she would lure them in close, as the cliff edge was lined with
archers….I remarked how well organised they were for bandits which she replied they weren’t bandits but soldiers from Invidia, a nearby
land at odds with Barovia due to a sour history.

She fought overly well, cutting down the lot, one of the invidians got a lucky hit but was cut down shortly after, not many remained outside
of the cavern and according to the field notes kept inside the tent it seems moral was very bad, in a foreign land food had become somewhat
scarce and undead had poured out from the caves killing many of the soldiers remain within….it was a hard fight but we managed to pull it
off….fallen rocks blocked our way but Fade managed to remove them and upon heading lower we found an old burial place for the Neureni
and strange culture indeed which I must admit know next to nothing about.

Below was several tunnels many of which were filled with bodies of the fallen invidians and among them risen Neureni warriors and priests,
many of which carried scrolls of an arcane nature, though always necromancy it seemed…and upon entering the last chamber we found a
great many statues, all of warriors dressed like the Neureni were, it was an odd but marvellous sight.

Once the burial crypt was cleared of undead we left, returning to the Vistani merchant to sell our plunder, Fade complicated my magic and
told me of another place she wished to venture to sometime, known as the Alhoon, she said a creature is the master of the lair and it lies
beneath the Balinoks, under Dvergeheim…and through the mines.

I agreed to venture there with her within a few days, once I have prepared myself and completed a few errands I wish to run.
[A small note here, make note not to fly past Radu as a pixie, he doesn’t like it]

[Tarmikos1]

Lessons of the Arcane

[Written in Oeridian common in an eloquent style]

I write now on a single topic, a certain individual I encountered and aided a few days ago, Balbina Ismene
a bright and kind girl, a student of the arcane no less. I met the young mage in the temple, when I overheard
Ashin offering to guide her up the mountain to the tower of which she was interested in visiting, concerned I
offered my own help as I myself was heading up to the tower.

I made sure she was protected as we advanced up the mountain, leaving from the temple in the outskirts it
took us around an hour or two to reach the bottom of the mountain, I cloaked her and we made our way up,
past the undead and giant spiders arriving at a small bunkhouse which I mentioned was used by the miners,
but since the mine was closed it was empty. We rested for an hour and continued, soon arriving at the tower.

Balbina was afraid of Ashin, I could tell and rightly so but her face lit upon arriving at a place of study for the
arcane, and it delighted me seeing her so happy in such a place, I showed her around the tower and he sat herself
down on the top floor thanking me, then taking a small leather tome and began to write.

She is a dear girl, even in this land she sees the silver lining, always seemingly happy and spirited, though
slightly shy she reminds me a lot of people I knew, I know that in time she will become a very great arcanist.
Since the tower she has begun to learn from me, becoming an endearing apprentice to me I can’t say what it
is but her attitude is rare and from what she has told me she struggled in her home land with her studies, not
due to an inability in the arcane but her stutter which she seems unable to avoid, it causes her to have troubles
when casting. On the topic of her stutter I’ve noticed it seems to be when around people, when she thinks otherwise
are watching and judging, I would say it is caused by an insecurity and fear of failure, of disappointment.
She is an exceptionally gifted mage, I think if I can help her gain the confidence she so dearly needs then she will one
day put behind her stutter entirely.
I have planned a lesson timetable for her….

Alchemy lessons….3 hours
Start lesson one with beetle mandibles, I’ve collected 38 of them should be enough for a good practice.
Then move onto shadow residue, a bit harder for a beginner but the sheer quantity one of obtain makes it a
good thing to practice with.
Herbalism Lessons…..2 hours
The fact is herbalism can heal almost any wound inflicted, and offers things otherwise unobtainable by a mage
such as the elixir of life, and Restoration tonic.

Start with the 40 woundwarts I have collected to teach her the recipe to make a cure light wounds.
Finally the arcane lesson I need her to learn the spells that will help her survive, and as she gains knowledge she will be able to cast greater spells,
physical practice will help her understand the specific uses of these spells, so we will travel to the tower and practice some there.

Around 3-4 hours of practice there will suffice.

She is very sweet and capable of so much if given the chance, I intend to see she gets that chance....

[A small page is attached to the journal here]

[Tarmikos1]

[The first page states this journals intention, which is to list all the tonics discovered, and how to produce them]
I hope this field journal will aid me, should I ever forget a recipe or
maybe even the novice who wishes to learn.

[The tightly bound leather journal ends here]

[Tarmikos1]

[Written in Oeridian common in an eloquent style]

[Several pages lie scattered about, attached to the journal]
Pose and footwork is perfect, movements and gestures and wonderful, spoken incantations remain an
issue however, she knows the spell inwards and out but it is fear that is affecting her, she is nervous the
poor dear, I tried to keep her calm, told her to pretend I wasn’t there and behold she did perfectly, the second
she thought she had made a mistake it threw her off, she lost focus and started to become concerned.

Her alchemy lessons go well though she has given up herbalism against my nagging, which is her decision,
I have noticed she seems to have natural talent for alchemy, it comes almost as second nature to her.

Practical training went well, she cast several spells including Evocation, Illusion and Conjuration types, we proceeded
to train in defensive forms of magic, I went first to show her, and cast shield, she threw magic missile at me, and I
showed its effects to which point she cast shield and I threw some magic missiles at her. She was overjoyed at her
success as she should be, I was very proud to have be a part of the experience and her learning.

I aided in collecting a few regents from the beetle caves, and had some shadow residue on me, hopefully she can
learn a fair amount from them. I’ll test her upon this later to see what she has learned.
[The journal, also written in common Oeridian]

Lessons with Balbina have been going smoothly and in my spare time I either head out with Fade towards the Balinok
mountains, or the Terg or spent my evenings looking into the arts of Herbalism and Alchemy. Herbalism beings something
I feel I have almost mastered, Fade and I have become close friends, and the insane elf is one of the most trusted companion’s
I have ever met.

We fought in the Alhoon together, just the two of us and succeeded, gathering a good amount of battle orbs and gavlan hearts I
need for Alchemy. The undead rise in the Neureni caves days after we defeat them, the mechanical beasts of the Alhoon are rebuilt
and the shadows seem to return every nightfall, so the endless slaying of these beasts have left us with an endless supply of adventure.

[Tarmikos1]

My work continues at a good pace, I have finished the expert works and can
finally move onto alchemical works, or what passes for alchemy in the core
I have so many ideas, so many theories to pen, I worry I will die before I can finish them.

[The book ends here]

Lessons with the apprentices continue at a good speed, Balbina has picked up the fourth circle quickly and is easily
finding people to venture out with, I myself work and venture out with Fade when time allows, for now I have some last
experiments to run on the scarab caps.

[Tarmikos1]

[This is written eloquently and neatly in common Oeridian]

I have neglected to write for a while, almost two months, and within these
two months so much transpired, a trip to Har Akir, where I faced a dragon
of terrifying size and members of the Nerull cult who murdered many of my
friends, sadly however Balbina has been neglecting her studies and has fallen
for a druid of all things, she is quite in love though I can see this not lasting
long, she is young and as such blindly falls for people who will not stay, Cade
the druid and friend to Fade is the man in question and his very nature is changing,
one moment he is fine, confident and calm then he may fall into a rage or depression
questioning everything, he fled one night and Balbina chased after him, so dangerous.
It is however her choice, I just hope it doesn’t distract her too much, that she loses
sight of what she is striving for.

[This writing is unlike the previous, it is rushed and unsteady, as if the writers hand was shaking]

My Eliora keeps appearing to me, at night, during the day in the woods and crypts I feel myself
falling into despair, why is she here, why is she not at rest. I have been searching for knowledge
on the undead, spirits and ghosts, I must know why she is haunting me, so I ventured to places I
know where knowledge of such may exist, the tower in the north where the lich resides. I gathered
Ethelhild, Fade and Balbina and as we entered the tower, a mighty undead dragon appeared and as
we fought it the floor collapsed and we fell through, finding ourselves in an underground cavern, luckily
we were all unharmed.

We faced various creatures but nothing we couldn’t handle, the caverned seemed to be some form of lab,
researching the possibility of transferring souls, removing them and capturing them, the intent I am sure
was to use their power for various reasons, dark stuff indeed. As we neared the end, I found several pages
describing methods of binding, bonding and trapping spirits and even the souls of the living, a large Grimoire
sat on a table nearby which requires study.

[The writing style continues to degrade, becoming hard to read]

It has been seven day I believe, I am unsure I have not left the cottage in the sullen woods, it has just been
me and Eliora here, she continues to appear. The tome speaks of materials which are suitable to contain a soul,
and what effects it has on them, valuable knowledge indeed. The trip was not a waste though I did not learn
what I needed to.

[Tarmikos1]

[This tome is heavy, old and worn. When held a dark foreboding and cold feel stretches across you]







[Kept between the pages of the old tome are three equally old scrolls]

[Kept next to the tome and scrolls, is another black large old tome, with no title or author marked upon the cover]

[Attached to these tomes, and scrolls which are bound together by a piece of leather is a note]

Reminder to self, these tomes contain dark knowledge though the information is useful for defense against
such magics it should never be used, keep away from other mages and make sure to never leave them alone.
Look into the shadowgems for research.

[Tarmikos1]

[While this hand writing is lovely to behold, it is uneven and messy compared to the previous
entries, the writer was unfocused as he penned this]

Within every dark corridor and every shadow lurks a torn and fragmented memory from my
past, a ghostly child, as broken as this shattered visage that merely reflects the abomination
that hath become my heart.

Thus my mind turns to an idea, a salvation to save my soul from inevitable entropy but chiefly
the salvation of that ghostly child of mine. The idea of the product comes from a fully lived life,
my experiences both good and bad, the knowledge I have hoarded over the past several decades.
I hope that my creation when it comes to fruition if I am worthy to craft such a thing, will do some
good in this world,  all I know is that it is my only chance to halt this blackening of my soul, and the
eventual decay that even now I do so heavily feel upon my spirit.

Much work must be done and I can think of no better place to study in peace than Port-a-lucine, it is
time to lay the ground work for my greatest task yet.

[The handwriting has degraded heavily, though it still retains some elegance]

We all fall through time, falling forward without a way to stop often we are able to see ahead and
sometimes we can’t, we never know where we may land, but one thing is always certain, our time
is not eternal, we all land eventually. And the circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant, it is what
you do with the gift of life…..the time given to you that counts….it is what defines us as we fall.

This undertaking I have set myself upon, it will either make or break me and I do not intend it to be the latter.

[Tarmikos1]

[Neatly written in an eloquent style is a separate page laid between the various other pages of the journal]
So much work has been carried out, and many ideas continue to stem from each discovery I make, new
possibilities all of which are equally exciting but I must not forget the original purpose of my work, and
my searching.

That purpose is simple, it is not power nor wealth. No it is the hope that I can find a way to free the soul
of the girl that haunts me, my own Eliora and this is the only task I have. I know not why she is bound to
the mists, why it took her as well as it did me but it does not matter for she is here, as am I and both of us
are slowly succumbing to a entropy upon our souls, I fear without intervention her fate is nothing but suffering,
she will twist and corrupt till nothing of her remains but a vengeful spirit.

I have long believed this world corrodes us, our minds and spirits like a parasite that slowly eats away the
innocence, killing beauty and passion both, and while I think upon the cause as to why Eliora didn’t pass
and what it was that brought her to the mists like me, I think that there is only one answer.

My inability to accept her death, and that the mist had nothing to do with her being here it was in fact me who
dragged her to this wretched world.

Several weeks of research, restless nights and experimentation has finally paid off while I work in the port-a-lucine
library, and a means to me goals still elude I remembered something I had learned previously from the dark tome I
had found under the tower upon mount Baratak.

It spoke of storing souls into items, and the varying effects these materials had upon the soul, so my thought is why
it was always negative and why did none of these materials have a positive purifying effect upon the soul. Obviously my
first thought was that it may be that the soul simple is unable to remain in such a untainted state, and that entropy is the natural
way of things, till we die and pass on.

However being as that passing on it not entirely possible to myself, or atleast Eliora I need a means to undo the damage to her
spirit, the ever changing variable that is her soul.

As I pondered this an idea struck me, nothing I do directly to her or I would remain in constant effect,
not to the degree I wish it too we are ever changing beings after all, so the only answer is I'll need to
forge an anchor, or find an item which can be used as such and along with the ritual of life bonding I
may be able to create such an anchor.

The question is how would such a thing work, and after months of thinking, wondering
and searching the thought occured to me while observing a smith work
and as I considered my own trades of alchemy and herbalism. What does the smith do to an
ore with impurities or a herbalist who wishes to use a certain herb, yet it
has an unwanted trait well we remove them, we purify it.

I'll do the same to myself and Eliora I'll develop a means to combat the dark within us, and use the
anchor as a means to halt it returning.

[Tarmikos1]

[Written eloquently, though appearing slightly rushed]
As I was preparing to leave I met a man by the name of Vocar at the library, an older man like myself
with a grey beard and bald head who was hunched over and appeared scholarly. We spoke for what seems
only a moment but our discussion had in fact taken several hours as we spoke of the arcane and our various works.

It would seem I found a kindred spirit in this dusty old library, I promised to visit as he mentioned staying in Vallaki,
and so we did depart. It was enjoyable meeting another who shares my views.

[A large red book with golden trimmings and titled the "Laws of the Alchymicum by Reinhart.R]


[This book depicts numerous detailed and exquisitely drawn pictures of magical glyphs, runes and charts]

Introduction   
The Laws of Alchymicum

These writings are observations of a natural order, laws of life if you will, it is the understanding that
all things in life interact with one another on a chemical basis, whether they react or do not they are
part of the great mechanism of our world and every other world. As such I attempt to create a form of
governing dynamics to explain my future work via these rules, acting as a guide.

This ideal encompasses not just the physical world but the non-physical too. It speaks of the soul
and the body, fire and water, light and dark, day and night, birth and death and no matter how small
something is, it fits into the great alchemical processes of time and existence. It is an idea that states
all elements of our world and the other worlds are components on the ever turning wheel of reality.
The laws can be observed and are evident, practical tools when it comes to understanding the arcane
and mysterious forces of our world. The sheer complexity to it is something that not I nor anyone else
will likely understand, but maybe through observation and experimentation that the components of this
great mechanism can be understood in greater detail, such as the nature of the arcane.

The law of Parallel Transfer

This law dictates that an item must have a similar flow of energy, a similar makeup, as it did in its previous
form, fire based elements must have a fire based outcome when reconstructed, and to manipulate parallel
transfer often leads to unstable and dangerous substances, which can have dangerous consequences.
 So in a laymen’s term one item of a particular nature can only be turned into another item of a similar nature,
this limiting law is the foundation of alchemy and herbalism.

[Several complex arcane symbols, and represented here, namely various anatomy based sketches of the human heart,
with smaller writings along the base and sides of the sketch]

Law of preservation of energy

Energy can neither be created from nothing nor destroyed, this is also true for base physical materials, the mass. When
we create something we are either losing potential energy and material or remain equal to what we started with, the law
dictates we never gain a greater amount of energy or mass than we first put in, such a law is seen in basic arts around the
core, such as smithing, woodworking and other physical crafts to the more potent art of enchanting.

[Six or so various depictions, elegantly drawn are shown here, runes and glyphs alongside the writings, and one sketch stands
out in particular, it seems the writer put a great deal of emphasis on a drawing of a dragon eating its tail, an ouroborus dragon]

Law of Tria Prima

The law of tria prima in my native tongue of Oeridian means the three primes, these refer to the materials sulphur mercury
and salt quite simply. Now this law represents the base building blocks of life.

Sulphur - the fluid connecting the High and the Low. Sulfur was used to denote the expansive force, evaporation, and dissolution.

Mercury - the omnipresent spirit of life. Mercury is believed to transcend the liquid and solid states. The belief carried over into other
areas, as mercury was thought to transcend life/death and some have even attempted at consumption of mercury to extend life.

Salt - base matter.

Salt represented the contractive force, condensation, and crystallization.

Mercury is used as the transformative agent, sulphur is the binding between substance and transformation and salt is the solidifying agent.
A very common example of the roles these substances play is when a piece of wood is set on fire. Smoke is mercury, flames are sulphur and
ash would be salt.

[A rather odd sketch is here, a beautifully drawn circle with various artistic work, yet with the alchemical symbols of both mercury and
sulphur on the interior of the circle, and on the exterior are several alchemical symbols of salt]


Law of the Four Primes

The law of the four Elements
Law of the four elements are fire, water, air and earth.
Fire represents the creative spark.  It is our passion and desire.  Fire stimulates original ideas and breakthroughs. The
element of Fire is the most active part of our imagination and consciousness.

Air symbolizes and gives access to thought patterns of the mind.  Like the thoughts in our mind, air is constantly moving,
expanding, and reaching out.  The symbol of air thus invokes reason and logic, yet in an expansive way rather than a limiting way.

Water symbolizes our emotional energy and our creative intuition.  Water is about our ability to flow and be flexible and
keep the stream of creativity flowing all the way through to its destination.  Water will also take on the shape of whatever
container you put it in, so it is malleable and encourages us to be adaptable.

Earth symbolizes solidity and is therefore about grounding higher energies and ideas into physical form. Earth brings things into
the tangible, practical world where we can put them into application and action.

[A drawing of the four elements is shown here, and branching off are various outcomes from each combination, from
earth and water there is plants, from fire and earth is lava, from fire and air is combustion, these symbols and drawings spread out and cover much of this page]


Law of the fifth   

Law of the fifth refers to what is believed by some as the fifth element, the element which links the material to the
non-material world, the soul. This is referred to as many things, the vital energy, the divine link the ether.
The four elements are all equally linked to the fifth, and the fifth to them. It is of Infinite magnitude and of a reality beyond
the present conception of man. It is that of which everyday material consists, a link between the worlds, a consummate
substance of overpowering grandeur. By a kind of instinct, one feels it to be the home of spiritual existence

[The sketch shown here is almost a drawing of an astral body, various planets are aligned with alchemical symbols drawn
next to them. These planets are most likely made up as a means to help the writer convey his idea of the link between the worlds via the fifth element]

 
[Signed Reinhart.R, Author]

[Tarmikos1]

The Clock Turned Back

[Written eloquently, in Oeridian common]

Treachery and progress....

My badly placed trust in Vocar has played out, though I wish not to pen what happened as
I would rather forget it, I'll write this for I should remember the feeling of guilt and
helplessness it gave me.

I am no longer the man I was, no longer does age afflict me so and it seems time is no longer
my enemy for it does not hound me so. I am young and as I was so long ago. With this new energy
I have I put myself to work, youth was not my goal but a means to save Eliora and have made great strides
in the research.

It was while I sat upon the field of black roses nearing nightfall, the field of black roses within Sithicus that I
saw something that made me realise a truth I hadn't thought of before. It doesn't matter how noble one is,
how good or true the heart this world is like a virus spreading throughout us, overtime we all succumb to it,
things we never thought we would do, we do.

I think we defy entropy and impermanence by seeking wealth and power, we hold onto each other a little
hard and say " I will not let go" I do not accept the ephemeral nature of this moment, I'm going to extend
it a little long, forever.

Corruption and death claim us all, here in the core I know I shall not pass on just like Eli is unable to do so,
so even when our mortal bodies fail us, our immortal souls are cursed to wander the land twisting till nothing
of them remains but a shattered visage, atleast this is true for Eli and I.

This field is a representation of that, at night a great pillar emerges in the centre of the stone and shadowy
statues appear around it, and as the sunrises they are sent away, banished. But night shall always return as
surely as the dawn will come and with it the statue and it's guardians.

How can I cleanse the corruption that has effected Eliora if I can't directly keep such corruptions away, some
say it is the will of the person that does such, but I know that time corrodes all things, when one lives as long
as me it is a known fact. Which is when the thought occured to me that this place is like a living being, ever
changing between states, and the knowledge I possess, that knowledge which I found within the lost crypts of that tower.
The magic to bind a being to a material, what if I used this material as an anchor.

Undergoing a purifying ritual to cleanse both myself and Eliora, but also on the inanimate object. This way I shall
be cleansed, however if I bound myself to the items state, using the knowledge I gathered, I can anchor myself to it.

This is my idea, and what I base the following methods upon. If I am to combat my demons then I need to know what they are
and bring them to the surface.

[Tarmikos1]

Nigredo
"Shadow of the Soul"

Though it has been a month since my last entry I have made great progress with my work, basing it upon
the Field of Black Roses and the Ebony Spire in Sithicus. I have designed a four stage change, of myself and the item which shall
act as my anchor. A short run down of the stages, stage one shows the impurities as they really are, bring hidden
truths to light, and the shadows to the surface so the light may purge them. This stage is Nigredo, time to understand what I
really am, I have gathered the materials I shall need and decided upon an appropriate location, I shall create an entry of the results,
I plan to proceed with all haste, once the bells toll midnight.

[Several loose pages sit here, inbetween the journals pages discerning some form of arcane ritual]

...It would seem I was successful, I formed the beginning of the Prima Materia, the Nigredo stone once born,
the first stage. Yet something went awry and while I was finishing the ritual a being appeared before me, standing
within the circle Tristitia, it grinned at me and I felt an awful sensation, and a terrible realisation, this shade was me
another me, born of my blood and magic, yet fuelled by the dark negative energies I used to amplify the ritual here, Nigredo
is designed to draw out evil from within bringing it to the surface so I can purify it, I thought it would be something that I must
contend with, from within but not like this.

I watched helplessly as the shadow stole the stone, and vanished into the darkness of the night...I can't help but feel I have
failed, unless I find a way to retrieve the stone, Eli is lost.

[Tarmikos1]

~A Lamp Lost Journey~

[Written in extremely small writing at the top of the page is a small quote, roughly done" ]
"Only those willing to walk through the dark of the night will be able to see the beauty of the stars and brillance of the moon"

[Written eloquently and neatly in Oeridian common]

Cavitus, a dead land where once lived countless souls, but such a place was doomed to the darkest of fates.
This is where Vocar has asked us to travel, to travel and retrieve something of great value to him, alas I
know not what it is and left with little choice. As I know in legend from Oerth Cavitus was once the home of the
maimed lord. I was taken to Vocar along with Elana to discover and confirm he does in fact hold my gem, he asked
that we make a truce as I had come to be an obstacle to him and in return he would give back what he had stolen,
but so must I. He would return my gem and in doing so I must both retrieve a relic from Cavitus and the stolen life he had given
me, which in truth I hated hence I agreed. A means to navigate the mists is known though it relies upon another, so for now I wait
till the time we depart, I must prepare for a dangerous trip one I am entirely aware that I may not return from.

I feel guilt over retrieving this tome, I know not what it is yet it is my hope that by doing so and studying it beforehand,
I may glimpse his plans and have an idea what he is up too.

[A second entry is here, not as well written as the previous]

The time did come and we traversed the mists with ease, we had the power to to leave the mists yet I have a duty
to my fellows and to my Eliora to return, so to Cavitus we ventured, finding ourselves in a ruined sewer of some sort.
As we gathered ourselves we moved forth coming upon a spirit standing over a strang stone with runic inscriptions upon it.
I was unable to translate but made a rough sketch to investigate later, the stone is somewhat interesting, as for the spirit she
vanished as we approached.

A ladder leading up to the surface revealed a most horrific sight, the Citadel of Cavitus, domain of the maimed lord, the chained god
and master of the spidered throne. The shattered city lay lifeless and still, shops and homes in ruin and empty roads lay bare, it's saddening to
see such a place imagining the life that once existed, and an overwhelming sense of pity for the spirit who I imagine once lived here, yet lingers
still.

We encountered shadows in every building and every street, our torches and light attracting them in droves that we were nearly swarmed, yet we endured
and pushed through the crumbling city. It was when we approached an open market area, with a gate that something most foul attacked.
Giant shadows unlike the others I had seen in the mists rushed us, we were nearly lost and some of us fell to the beasts yet we managed
to retreat with our fallen back to the sewers for safety.

It was there I communed with the spirit of the ghostly lady, to my surprise she spoke of Vocar mentioning he was her uncle, and that he betrayed her.
She said several things which I couldn't make sense of but felt were important, which were "She was to be a vessel" and that she was the "Third word"
whatever this means I do not know, but a vessel for what.

Two of my companions had fallen though I managed to successfully revive my dear apprentice, and my scoundrel friend. Though the
later I had to make due with an elixir of life, made from a makeshift apothery cauldron I created to brew it. We were alive and so
continued onwards back towards the giant guardian, when we came up with an idea. The shadows sre attracted by light and seem
to combat these giant guardians, as such I threw a fireball setting a nearby building alight, pouring forth shadows that began attack
the guardians, in the chaos we managed to make it through into the ruined keep.

[A small sketch is seen here depicting a grotesque creature]

Within the keep we explored a few corridors, checking for shadows or other creatures making our way down a series of spiraling
staircases, which is when we met a creature feeding upon some corpses. He seemed intelligent as he began conversing with us though
he was clearly mad, and seemed to take delight in our scent, looking to my apprentice often. We asked about our destination, the Shadowed
Library and where we may find it. He asked first for food, looking to the fingers of my dear apprentice. Luckily I had a few hag hearts I offered
in exchange, he accepted and thus told us this riddle.

"Where Three Become One"

We left the poor creature there, proceeding higher and higher into the keep, coming across some vampire, who wished to help us in exchange of
us leading him out of Cavitus, we all had an issue with this but had little choice. We found three mirrors which is when we figured out the riddle,
when three images become one in the reflection of these mirrors, we moved them about till my reflection was centre.

Myself and the others were teleported to a strange room containing a golden coffin, and mirror beyond looking upon a strange land, not Cavitus but
elsewhere, the room was covered in bookshelved and tomes in every corner. We each began to search this room, our guiding device pointing us here.
I looked upon this strange city, and I seen saw a banner and I recognized it, it was a city upon Oerth which was lost hundreds of years ago when the maimed
lord sacrificed, at least that is how legend goes.

I could feel the breeze of the sea through this mirror, which is when I realised it was no mere illusion but some form of portal, looking
through time and the mists I could smell the sea, hear the birds and people and feel the wind on my face, and the warmth of the sun.
I cannot lie, I considered stepping through and escaping the mists, yet my duty to Eli lies there.

At this point we had opened the golden coffin, revealing a giant dark tome, I have never seen such a book I could not understand
its contents, it was of arcane origin and beyond complexities I can describe, this was what we were sent for, and so with the tome
in our hands, we began to make our way out, leaving Cavitus and this accused place for good. My heart is heavy with sorrow upon
witnessing such a dark place, yet maybe in time I can help that spirit who lingers here, bringing some light.

[Tarmikos1]

~~Closured~~

[Meridian]

//OOC very late closure entry

~The Nigredo Stone~

Cold be hand and heart and bone, and cold be sleep under the stone

[Written in Old Oeridian, in Rin's handwritting]

Much time has passed since last I wrote, I sit now in a place of power, the hour of midnight  almost upon me.
My lamp lost journey to the lands Cavitus resulted in the retrieval of the dark tome of Vecna himself, pages full
of knowledge no mortal was supposed to glimpse, it would take me many life times to understand the entirety of
this Grimoire. With the Books retrieval I've had the stone returned to me, the Nigredo stone is once more mine
....sadly.

No man can control it, or sweep the darkness it brings forth away.... [The handwritting becomes shaky and unfocused
after this point] The inner darkness of those who hold it comes forth, and I've been able to resist. But I can feel
something else in the stone, something else working through it, and I do not know what it is.

I've handed the stone to Fade, one of my dearest friends in the hope she can do what I could not, and destroy it,
but the urge to keep it is....strong. I created something I can not destroy, and it has destroyed me...till the sun fails
and the land withers away, till the moon is dead and the stars fade as darkness takes the sky, and still it shall lie.
Now the hour approaches and I must depart this cursed mortal coil, my failures have defeated me, atlast. I can
only hope, someone is stronger than I was, and destroy the stone before it grows stronger.

"Everyone deserves a little magic in their lives"

[Meridian]

//Bumping this to save!