Nightal 14th, Year 151 of Sanctuary Reckoning

A Sanctuary indeed! A place where I may conduct my researches into life and death unmolested! I'm still getting a feel for the town and am wandering about doing odd jobs here and there. I've made a good friend of a strange little gnome of the Baerdweller Clan (who is turning out to be a marvelous study of regional gnomish culture) who insists I call him Anthony, as that is his third name. I have chosen the third name of "Peter." More to follow on that later when I am not so pressed for time. If I want to sleep in a bed tonight I need to make myself useful. Tomorrow though, I will resume my studies. Velsharoon watch over and guide your faithful servant in his pursuit of understanding the Twilight.

(there are small smatterings of blood on this page)

Nightal 15th, Year 151 of Sanctuary Reckoning

Enlightenment is achieved through the knowledge, longevity, and power gained pursuing the state between life and death, known as the Twilight.

I have always been drawn to certain mundane aspects of the world around me. I was blessed to enter this world into an affluent family, which afforded me delightful opportunities that many do not receive. As many other children toiled on farms or were sent to apprentice to various tradesmen, I was allowed free reign to persue what my family would later call "certain peculiar eccentricities." I have always seen myself as a man of reason with a divine voice in my head.

Our family employed a tutor for the children. An old Oghman who told us to call him "Teacher." I owe much of my knowledge to this man, yet I was never one for learning about the natural world only through books. I was particularly curious as to how living things were alive, and things that have no life, or things that once were living, do not live.

I remember fondly one night when I was lying awake in bed, hearing shouts of anger out near the orchards. I crept out of the house, and soon came upon two men arguing. One drew a dagger and stabbed the other many times, then left. I was shocked, but something spoke to me, as it has many times since. I could hear the man gasping in pain, dying. I ran back to the house. I retrieved a sharp knife that I had been using to open things, and lit a candle, being careful to cover the light until I was outside. The man saw me coming and called out to me weakly. It took him about an hour to die. I had never opened something so big, and it took some time as I fumbled about and made a mess of things. I had to use a rock to crack his ribs. I stayed with him most of the night, looking at the things inside him. After that, animals just weren't satisfying enough.

Nightal 18th, Year 151 of Sanctuary Reckoning

Necromancy concerns itself with power over life, death and the state of undeath. Necromancy draws heavily upon the Negative, a power capable of sustaining existance after the living shell perishes. The term "Undead" is most commonly used to describe entities that are deceased yet behave as if alive. Yet this is a innappropriate designation at best, and at worst a heinous detriment to scholarly understanding of what is necessary to exist. It implies that to be undead is foul and perverse, a stigma perpetuated by crude and insophisticated individuals, and furthered to an extant by the imperfect and unbecoming appearence of most such creatures. Yet, what an undead state implies is a surrender to neither life nor death, but a condition between. The soul is attached to a living body through positive energy, but there is also death in this world, which is negative energy itself. This is why the living body perishes, after which, the soul leaves to a designated place.

If a man was to die in my company, and I had the ability and command over the Negative that is required for the soul to retain its personality and intelligence, why must I return his soul to his deceased body? I see no reason why he nor the Negative Forces driving and connecting him to the Prime Material would find this necessary. Why not instead place him in a much sturdier container? It is only through intolerance and ignorance that this has not been established and perpetuated. Sanctuary is an ideal place to begin my experiments once more. Not only is it isolated, it is beset by terrors on all sides. What need a man fear for his life if he no longer requires life to carry on his pursuits?

Nightal 19th, Year 151 of Sanctuary Reckoning

I located an exciting site today, yet found myself asked to leave without properly concluding my research. I assembled a group of willing individuals and quickly entered, eager to examine more powerful and intelligent undead up close. In this I was not disappointed as I encountered both corporeal and incorporeal intelligent beings in an encouraging supply. Repeated attempts to converse were met with no success. They did not seem to bear the mark of Velsharoon. It did not help things to be with a woman Ordinant, who was most certainly against any sort of meaningful dialogue or study. I shall have to leave those sorts of individuals out of my research teams from now on. To make matters worse, we were met with an arcane necromancer who attacked us immediatly and was soon slain. A potential goldmine of information, cut to ribbons. I was unable to retrieve his remains, adding to my frustrations. A pillar or obelisk was found, brimming with negative energy. Our numbers were relatively small by that time however, and I did not have the opportunity to examine it. Finally, we met with a very exciting find, a Doom Knight, who answered my call for peaceful talk with his master. The being approached us, looked us over, leveled a sword at us in warning, and walked away. A member of my team believed we might have misunderstood its meaning, and that its show may have actually been an invitation. Unfortunately that was not so, and it appeared quite resolute that its creator was not receiving visitors. There is so much more to learn.

(Aeden makes a copy of his own letter and places the response carefully in the journal)

Nightal 18th, Year 151 Clarification of Law regarding Animation of Dead Watch House & Order of the Spellguard Wizards

Respected Representative,

I have read that the Animation of the Dead within Dunwarren warrants Serious to Capital charges. Unless there is a precedent that I am unaware of, it does not appear that it is against the law to summon an undead creature within Dunwarren. Would the rules of summoning an undead creature fall within the same guidlines as summoning any other sort of creature within Dunwarren? Thank you for your consideration and time. I may be reached through correspondance at the Last Stand.

Sincerely, Aeden Gabrain Priest of Velsharoon

*The letter is obviously written by someone who has a steady and well-focused hand.*

Aeden Gabrain,

I appreciate the respect you've shown by wishing to know our laws. The answer to your question would be yes; It would be considered illegal to summon undead within the Dunwarren. Very few people can identify one from the other, and it may thereby cause a panic. Please do not do so.

With all Thanks, ~Private Kobe D. Azuran, Sanctuary Watch

(an original notice, once taken down, is carefully placed in the journal)

I will be holding a short talk on necromancy, negative energy, animation of the dead, and the concept of the Twilight in the Town Hall at a time to be announced. The floor with be open afterwards to a short period of question and answer for the curious.

Aeden Gabrain, Priest of Velsharoon

Nightal 20th, Year 151

I will begin a series of introductory talks todark on necromancy and the subject of the Twilight. This introductory talk will be held throughout the week at different times to ensure that everyone that is interested will be able to attend. Today, at a minimum, I will hold one in Upper Sanctuary inside the Town Hall, and one in Lower Sanctuary Outside the Crone. I will announce the times through a public sending.

Aeden Gabrain Priest of Velsharoon

Nightal 20th, Year 151

The talks went about as well as I expected them to. Too many preconceived notions. I was asked to join a mercenary company and have decided to take them up on it. I always need coin to fund my research.

Subject #1 Nightal 21st, Year 151 Sally, female, human Lower Sanctuary and Environs

Initial notations: S1 seemed unusually advanced and mature in development. Savy and charming. Initial interview was conducted in Lower Sanctuary. Transcript begins upon agreement of interview. AG: What is your name? S1: Sally. AG: Who takes care of you? S1: Mr. Peepers. AG: Is Mr. Peepers your father? S1: Sort of. AG: You're quite precocious. Who is Mr. Peepers? S1: He takes care of all of us down here. He watches over us. AG: What happened to your parents? S1: They died. AG: Where are you from? S1: I'm from down here. AG: What do you want to be when you grow up? S1: I want to be a councilor! Then I can make things better for everyone! AG: Really? Thats charming, which councilor do you like best? S1: I like Mr. Worn! He's from down here! AG: I've visited his shop, his stew isn't bad. You've been great Sally. Would you like to help me out with an experiment? S1: That depends.

Conclusion of initial interview. Terms were reached and secondary interview and research was conducted at alternate location. I was met with locals who sanctioned my work and instructed that I was on holy ground. After preliminaries were seen to research commenced. Transcript begins with second interview.

AG: How are you feeling Sally? S1: (no response) AG: Do you recognize me, Sally? S1: (no response) AG: I must demand you answer my questions to the best of your ability Sally. S1: (low moan) AG: Damage to throat may inhibit speech. Who is Mr. Peepers, Sally? S1: (low croaking sounds) AG: Who is Mr. Worn, Sally? S1: (subjects head lolls back)

Interview is concluded. Results seem to indicate that S1's soul is not within the body, or that S1's consciousness is unable to assert itself under the conditions set. Experimentation begins.

S1's head is severed. Head quickly becomes inanimate, though the remaining S1 remains functional. S1 is ordered to place itself at another location and obeys. S1 is ordered to lay down and dissection begins. Chestplate is cracked and removed, organs do not seem to be functioning, S1 remains functional. Organs are removed and S1 is observed to be functional. Orders are given to stand. S1 stumbles and falls. S1 attempts to follow orders, muscles are observed to be moving and blood flows over the chest cavity where the heart has been removed. Repeated attempts of S1 to stand meet with failure though bone structure and muscle tissue were in working order. S1 seems on the brink exhaustion. S1 is released. Experiment ends.

Conclusion of experiment S1. Study seems to indicates that S1's soul does not reside within the body. Further indications are given that negative energy reanimating S1 seems to encourage certain deceased internal systems to carry on as if alive. Muscles were observed to flex, blood was observed to travel through the system without a heart.

Questions: What led to S1's exhaustion? Previous encounters would seem to indicate that S1 should have continued to function without organs, and only cease after extreme levels of destruction have been visited upon the body. Does negative energy require these systems or organs in any way? How does blood flow through the body without a heart? Is it necessary for blood to flow through the system for subject to function?

End Notations: Do not destroy the tissue near the throat. Apply negative energy when subject is on verge of exhaustion. Observe which systems seem to be operational and which do not. Obtain a subject and remove organs before research and observe noticable differences in function. Obtain subject and observe differences in function when subject has a heart and when subjects heart is removed.

Nightal 23rd, Year 151

I have been accepted into the Scorned Edge Company. Company breaks down as follows.

Scorned Edge Company Financial Backer: Adrian Luna

Dreeve Rydralin & Errtu Ebonhand

Melee: Marach Demetrius Fett-iah Brutis Onyxeye

Clergy: Deli Aeden Gabrain

Stealth: Hugo Trevor Ned

Arcanist: Kanxcer

Nightal 23rd, Year 151

I write this from my sickbed. I was on a treasure hunting expedition today with three other men. Two warriors, named Teth Alexander and Olavio, and one charming fellow I met recently at my instructional talk named Edgar Decorona. I believe they may all be illithiad thralls now.

I was seperated from them deep in the Badlands. A place I have never been before. They must have believed me dead. There is a lesson to be learned here, which is twofold. Never partake of such dangerous travel with strangers, and never again treat mushrooms with so little respect. Beyond the Badlands I found a strange cavern filled with thousands of mushrooms, swarms of large flying insects, and crawling slimes. From my vantage point I could see into a large glistening pool, in which a gelantinous cube was feeding.

Searching for my companions, I quickly located a trail of destroyed creatures and followed it. The path led to an area near a portal, a cave, and a staircase. The cave led to a very well traveled road. It is dangerous to travel such places near Traensyr and Mur, and I quickly headed back. I chose next the staircase. I made myself unseen and traveled downward into the deep dark places of this world. The staircase brought me to the gates of Ysinode. Quickly backtracking, I made my way to the portal. I admit that I was somewhat frightened at this point. Not for my life you understand, but to leave my research incomplete. I stared into the portal but hadn't the boldness to step in. We had been tricked once in this competition by moving without thinking. I was determined to think this time. By all appearences my party had traveled through the portal. I knew not where it might go, though the proximity to Ysinodes gates and a well traveled road made me profoundly uneasy. "Who had initiated this competition?" I thought. "Why would someone offer vast treasure for running about the Underdark?" I returned home, defeated but alive and unchained.