I finally found the last sheet that had slipped out of the journal. Thought it best to rewrite it here before I lost it again!

Tuesday, 28 February 2023
Changed @ 16:35
It's been a busy half-cycle! Only now do I have a few moments to write here.
Mentoring an apprentice can proceed at quite a pace when the student is eager to learn and ready to work hard. Dolly proved herself to be such a one, and it was my honour and privilege to take her to the temple a few turns ago, where she set her feet on the beginning of the path I follow.

A number of unusual chests were found scattered around the lands. They seemed to be old War Chests. The locks were, naturally of an ancient design. They also triggered traps when first anyone tried to unlock them. Corsair taught a few rogues how to deal with those traps. It's always pleasant to master a new skill. But even with the traps deactivated the lockpicks and master lockpicks now available would not work on the ancient mechanism of those old locks. Keys were found eventually, hidden away for ages by gremlins and at last the chests fell open. There was an assortment of items found - demon items in one, primitives and ingots in another, a hoard of crystalline shards in a third. Corsair explained the relevance of where the chests had been found. They were bound up with the wars that led to the end of the golden age, though many who did not know the history and lore of those times may have been unaware. For myself I had wondered if the proximity of one chest to the ancient sites of Caer Soral and Winterhaven was more than coincidence , a thought which turned out to be correct.

Many took a portal to the nexus in an attempt to repair one of the pillars. The sharbearers, myself included, concentrated on releasing the streams of colour energy from the shards we carried. Bo and Cody rested their hands on the pillar for Branishor, relating the memories of events which gave them a strong connection to the city. All seemed to be going well at first but then something went amiss. The pillar shattered, sending pieces of debris flying into the attendees, most of whom were sent reeling to a monument. I recovered as usual, though there was a tinge of green affecting my sight for a short while afterward. All the shardbearers were apparently affected in the same way, the tinge of hue distorting their vision dependent on the shard they held. Valyna is digging into old tomes and scrolls for further research. All I have spoken with are agreed on one point - that further attempts should be made.

After such a hectic time it was pleasant to spend a few marcs at the inn last turn, quietly chatting with friends and acquaintances.