# Theobald’s Journal

## The Price of Wine

Midsummer 560 GR

The price of wine is increasing. Despite common knowledge and the conjoined interests of multiple
kingdoms the price of wine is increasing.

I was hoping to find something of interest south of the College in Flumen D'Aurum. Attending the
Midsummer festival. After studying every major and sub-major of magic and finally graduating with
one - racking up mountains of debt notes in the process - I don't know what I thought.

Maybe a way to put my laureate to use? Who knows? It's all so boring, and terrifying at the same time.
We ate extremely well! And the entertainment was second to none! Of course it couldn't be that simple
though. It's all a blur to me know, one thought after another, no real conjoining twine of events that led
between but one continuous prism of events that led me here writing it all out. I'll get to the point:

I waste ink on this paper to document my findings in these strange times. I hold on my hands the blood
of multiple gnomes and their treasures following:

a book that I cannot read, some kind of cipher, I think I have the key - another tome. I just need more
time. It was with a bunch of useless ledgers documenting... something. When we traipsed through the
sewer and phone the gnomes cavorting with their supposed ringleader they were talking about fixing
the jousting tournament that we were enjoying. I managed to keep one alive. The rogue somehow didn't
understand why one would be coerced into committing crimes for money. I found it so strange that in
the midst of our bickering the Mage that joined us slit his throat just to end it.

I think I care that that happened. I think I wish he didn't die, but I'm beginning to wonder if it
mattered... He believed me, he had a sister but what does that matter even? His sister was sick so she
won't miss him long.

Is that where good comes from? The absence of them being here to interfere? So we can get more gold?
I hope the answers are in this book, but that would be too simple, nothing is ever that simple, because if
it were simple then I could stop writing and if I stopped writing I would leave this chair and the
variables increase. And then what? I don't know, so I'd rather write, I'd rather learn of this plot and
hopefully go in the right direction.
I don't think they were evil.

I don't Know that they were evil.

But that variable is gone. And I know that brings me peace.

There was a jewel... I shouldn't talk about it here. I hope that mother never finds this.

Note: I humbly request you burn this journal to prevent that path from coming to fruition

## The Green Chymera

Midsummer 560 GR

We stayed at the Inn the Green Chymera despite the sign depicting what was definitely not a Chimera,
nor was the signage spelled correctly - I dwell longer again on things that need not concern me. I
remember harp music, I parted with some more of my hard found gold and nourished myself enough.
The town of Lustrum has treated me well anyway. I studied the book in my downtime and found
something quite odd; the recipe for an alchemical substance that could potentially burn through stone
and steel.

I’ve seen things like it before - but this differed in a particular way - with the addition of Wyrdstone
one could emulsify the reagents to become chain reactive with the air we breathe. This Self-aerobic
nature is unlike anything I have known in magic, which by all understandings depends on pure weave
to function and pull energy from it to manifest at command of words, gestures, materials of power.
We left bare after resting, not that I got much at all. To the Cloud Giant Warehouse, based on a hunch
from our nebulous thief Rogue, they snuck past the guards who soon left none the wiser. I am unsure
about this organization if one could say it as such, so far they have not offered much resistance besides
from when we threatened them. And the same could be said here, a motley crew, functioning on the
backs of gnomish works. This I can say for certain after looking through the warehouse and finding 4
crates of waxen sealed bottles of elemental power, we also found food stuffs, fine lingerie, top shelf
wine, and… Gnomish runes. Everywhere. All the runes were there for use by the network, labeling
switches and traps. One said switch summoned a Balgura. To say it was terrifying was an
understatement, we left post haste. Read this: on the way out the organization offered us assistance.
While we were robbing them blind. Destroying their operation. Sure they had their own heads on the
block, but they were not stingy about it!
Of course, Dakos offered them acid in the eye for their trouble. I am confused about our approach.
~~~
I hesitate to write about this, my mind is a whirl just considering, evaluating, thinking about it. When
we were going down the basement way to the under storage of this warehouse, it was as if I had been
there before! Scripted as if acting out a book or a bard’s play and - and I saw the death before me, the
death of the ogre guarding the door. I - I knew exactly which way to twist the blade, what I had for
lunch that day, what I had in my back pocket, the humidity and temperature of the air was just correct
and the way the chairs and table was set just past us - and I slipped and then there was nothing.

There was no hope, no chance, it was as if I died right there in that moment, a twist in the air,
something beyond my calculations, or beyond my control - no! Something beyond this realm…
slipped. The vase on the table knocked and woke the ogre up. I am no longer me, the real me died there
and split off into that thread of circumstance in times and his dreams and his past went with him. I
knew things would happen but could this be my fate? What are they telling me? I feel sick, I am unsure
and now the little pieces that put it all together are on the floor again.

I will need to reassess.

# The Adventure so far

We started at the Midsummer festival in Tementum, a town located in Legalla, a gnome populated land
in Southern Flumen d’Aurum, known for it’s hills, wine and river tributaries.

We were enjoying the festivities when a ruckus occurred in the town square, we left early to
investigate. A cloud of darkness obscured the center square, the vendors that sold us food lay
unconscious but stable, attacked recently. We probed inside and found a sewer that was uncovered and
ventured to the sewers beneath. Found a crate full of labeled gold bars.

Found a book that looks like a key, some sort of Cipher (“The Crimson Vial”) I soon decoded this
cipher when we spent the night at the Green Chymera, whoever wrote this was researching the creation
of Greek Fire. Besides the normal ingredients for alchemist fire, it requires the usage of Wyrdstone.
Later that night we decided to check out the Cloud Giant Warehouse, a place where these people were
meeting up. It appeared to be a black market hub of items being smuggled through Legalla, more likely
to avoid the normal routes and use the cover of war to make a profit.

We found a crate full of different colored glowing bottles, they seem to be associated with the different
elements.

Gold, Green, Blue-White, and White Bottles specifically.

After killing the ogre we found a room used for more economic exercises. Lots of legers. We found a
large lever with gnomish runes. After casting ‘Comprehend Languages’ I discovered the runes to read:
Shop

Home

Panic
Here

I got distracted by a Gelatinous Cube and the Sorcerer couldn’t help himself but flip the lever. Of
course I managed to not relay the information that I divined from the runes so accidentally switching it
to the third position activating a ‘panic’. A summoning circle activated and alarms started blaring. A
large muscular ape-like demon started appearing out of the circle. We got out of there and let the place
blow up on it’s own.
I did slip out, disguised, the next day, the place was absolutely swarming with guards.

We decided not to push the investigation further.

Attending the tournament the next day we were attacked by Heatmeiser. After defeat the guard showed
up and surmised that he was digging up graves and directed us to a temple about a days travel away.
We went to the temple, found the graves, there was a banshee, required a password, which was the
name of the old master of arms of this once barracks converted church.

Going inside, and heading down the central stairs there were many rooms that were assigned to each
one of the seasons

We travel back through the mountains to the family’s home and get back to Milbourne and give Heff
the information about the ring. He believes it might be cursed and directs us to Thurmaster to talk to
Touster about it. Before we leave we stop by the Baron of Mutton