2 Teayu, 1423 T.H.
Whilst on my morning perambulation about the Grand Bazaar, I encountered a bill of notice that the not too distant town of Hope Springs was to hold their annual Fortune Festival, a suitably good time for a young Noble Dwarf such as myself. I found accompaniment in the form of several other Adepts that my prior companion Barag had recommended, and we resolved to travel together.

12 Teayu
Having reached the town of Hope Springs, we saw many curious preparations for the festival. Garlands of alliums hung in the windows, curtains of black velvet adorned the mirrors, and it soon became clear that these superstitions were not entirely festival-related. We spoke to the village Elder, one Astrid Enisdottir, who explained the town's peculiar relationship with luck. The town was the locus of a series of bizarre incidents of curiously specific misfortune, and apparently they were quite accustomed to sudden deaths and disappearances. Nevertheless, three youths who had disappeared that day were perhaps rescuable by us, and so we set off to find them.

Being early in the afternoon, we first searched the floral fields for one Brekka, a girl who had succumbed to the bites of insects. At first we were concerned about the insects being poisonous, but as we were soon approached by giant versions of the same, we saw firsthand what they were capable of. These two-foot monstrosities came after us, stabbing with their needle-like posteriosi, which, instead of delivering venom, drained the poor victim of their blood. Poor Soar lost quite a lot of blood as one such creature latched onto his leg and inflated like some monstrous reverse waterskin. The way the creature's abdomen unfolded gave me some interesting ideas for building expandable vessels for food transportation and preservation. Amhrán was able to gather samples of their stingers but only my notes survive of the creatures' sacs. While a successful latch proved quite detrimental to our friend Soar, the bees were little match for Forged Steel, and we were able to revive Brekka and send her home.

Spurred on by our success, we hastened to the Crossroads where a spattering of blood did not bode well for the young lad Lazslo who had been sent on an errand of his own. Indeed, the creatures who slew him, feral Troajin who had developed a taste for Namegiver Flesh lusted after ourselves as well and quickly ambushed us. This time, we were able to build a more suitable defensive line and the Spellcasters stood behind R'edtarian and myself, casting spells to armor and enhance us. Soar's luck had turned since earlier and his Flame Weapon spell proved most effective at scaring off the beasts. Still, I wonder who their previous owner was and whether they could be redeemed. We recovered Lazslo's body and kept his jewelry separate so that it could be identified without too many having to view the grisly remains. With dark approaching, many of us Wounded, and all of us spent, we returned to the town to rest, hoping that transit down to the lake with the dawn would prove less unfortunate for the last missing youth.

13 Teayu
Success! The mud at the lake was quite remarkable, though its ambulatory nature perhaps proved a detriment to the suitability of the place as a collection point for future use. Some creatures, who spoke only in rude squelching noises had imprisoned Mathïldê and seemed to be busy building an encompassment of mud about her, perhaps to transmute her into one of their own. Attempts were made between myself and the leader of the muddlemen to discuss the disposition of the lass, but they were quite insistent that she remain, despite her clear and unequivocal desire to be freed and return to her village. They rushed us and, thankfully, R'edtarian met them in the middle, allowing them to surround him in exchange for ensuring the rest of us were unhindered. Much to our disconcertion, however, they were quite happy to surround him as each muddly slap slathered more muck onto him, bogging him down and heaving him Overwhelmed with detriment. Stout he remained, however, as I flanked around them, splitting them into mounds of foul muck while the Spellcasters splashed them with Acid and Ice, tearing them to pieces. Amhrán rushed to the girl, her priority to free her for obvious reasons, but the relative difference in scale between Windling and Ork did not result in success until Soar and Barag cooked and cleansed the mud off of her, respectively.

The youths being entirely located, if not entirely rescued, ended our excursion on a high yet somber note, appropriate to the fatalism of the town we had visited.

My compatriots on this adventure were:
Amhran Fili, a Windling Troubadour and lover of Funnel Cake
Barag Yurdum, a Dwarf Elementalist and fellow Second-Son
Calina Ravanqnerosicor, an Elf Wizard and strong silent type
Red'tarian, a Human Warrior and fellow Axeman
Soar Stillwind, a Human Elementalist and Healer

Dramatis Personae we encountered upon visitation:
Astrid Enisdottir, Elder of Hope Springs
Brekka, Lazslo, and Mathïldê, youths

1 Raquas, 1423 T.H.
Word has reached me of a downed airship discovered high in the Throalic Mountains. The Ork Sky Raider Perrok received a letter from a relative of his detailing a wreck that he had seen but could not investigate. I met him and several others, each of whom had suggestions for patrons we could pursue to aid us in outfitting ourselves for a dangerous trek. We settled upon one Ilmorian Teayu, an Elf whose family had stockpiled much wealth in prepatation for the reclamation of the surface, and we were able to convince her that their time is now. They supplied us with climbing and cold weather gear for the fierce winds of the high Throalic Mountains.

10 Raquas
The Gannagroth Liferock is the last populated settlement on our way to the wreck and it made for a pleasant stop on our way North. We made pleasant conversation with the Ferryman Racier as we crossed the lake.

25 Raquas
The ink in my pen has finally thawed and I can record my thoughts from the trip. We crossed a wide frozen valley with howling winds. Within this valley had once been a monument to Erendis, and there were still spirits in the area, in the form of wolves, who serve Dis' will. They attacked our watch in the middle of the night, and our Elementalist on watch was quickly forced against the ice wall we were using for shelter. We acted quickly, risking frostbite to support our attacked allies before they were devoured by these wolves. It was only when we started knocking them out and they vanished that we discovered they were spirits, and they pack dissipated when we were able to eliminate the leader.

We rested for a day before continuing on. The wreck was suspended in a frozen waterfall, visible in the mid-afternoon light shining through the ice. The wind howled as we climed the frozen edifice, foreshadowing what was to come. On the frozen deck of the Airship Aether, a precarious ledge in the ice whose railing had been lost to time, was an Air Elemental, Corrupted by time and Theran magics, tortured by Horrors, and imprisoned in service to a ship with no crew. I am no expert at curling, but my compatriots were able to slide over to the lockbox containing the control mechanisms enslaving the Spirit and destroy them.

My compatriots on this adventure were:
Barag Yurdum, Dwarf Elementalist and fellow Second-Son
Nergae Hilldigger, Dwarf Beastmaster and lover of cats and dogs
Perrok, Ork Sky Raider with connexions
Rohrickh "Rorrie" Shadrach, Human Elementalist and Thespian

Dramatis Personae we encountered during the exploration:
Ilmorain Teayu, an Elf working for my competitors
Racier, a Ferryman