Moments of Temperance
[!] In the southeastern corner of the northern landmass, a small, waterlogged journal can be found. Much or what was written in it seems to have been lost in whatever process brought it here.
67 S.A. 1st of Frost’s Maiden
[!] On the page seems to be a rather detailed drawing of what looks like a massive cavern complex, beams of light shining down into the water below.
I was certainly right in my instinct to choose this place for my task, a most grand expanse of a cavern if I have ever seen one. How does a mountain such as this even hollow out? The water erosion must have taken countless valah lifetimes if that is truly the cause.
I brought no torch with me, only my spear, but that was alright. With my new trusty illumination spell, finding my way through the dark has proven to not be an issue. I can already imagine myself hitting my head yet again considering the steepness of the land I walk.
For my first night, I focused simply on finding a place to rest for the future, and lo! A perfect alcove of soft grass, fed by light from one of the many holes above. I do not like the idea of bearing a night of cold, but I must for now.
The water of the cavern, the way it echoes, it almost sounds like a lulling song…
67 S.A. 2nd of Frost’s Maiden
[!] A sketch of some kind of grass-woven rope holding up yet more grass appears on the page.
Today I solved the problem of the cold. I was advised to try burning grass whenever I can. It burns quickly, too quickly, but with enough I can manage to keep things stable.
I also found a reasonable source of food, a small collection of mushrooms. Edible if heated, and luckily choosing a cavern has yielded a large quantity of flint for my needs.
Tomorrow I will make something to cook them a bit better I think.
[!] Water damage destroys the accounts of the next two days, though the writing seems to have been about as unnecessarily long as the previous ones.
67 S.A. 5th of Frost’s Maiden
Not much happened today. I swear someone is calling my name, but it just seems to be a cave fish of sorts. I was expecting something more… pale and eyeless, but with the light that reaches this place from those many holes I suppose they do get enough to see in a place like this.
I have never been one for the taste of fish, but that fish’s days are numbered.
67 S.A. 6th of Frost’s Maiden
I made a mistake. I am not sure why I thought with my poor aim that tossing a SPEAR and a FISH in the WATER was a good idea, but here we are. Now I have to figure out a way to get the poor thing back out before it gets lost somewhere.
If I cannot make anything work, I suppose I will just have to dive for it.
9th of Frost’s Maiden
Could not write the last few days. Turns out that water is in fact cold in a giant cavern in the middle of winter. I had to bring the spear to the other side of the water and now I cannot reasonably go back without risking myself. Joy.
For now, I am using a blanket of grass to keep warm. I will have to remake my grass-drying rack once again, I am afraid.
[!] A few more days seem to have been lost to the water.
12th of Frost’s Maiden
No mushrooms anywhere, at least I can reach in my weakened state. I can feel my mind screaming to explore more, to see more of this strange place! But, my body and my apparent desires do not align for the moment.
How songlike desire can be at times.
13th of Frost’s Maiden
I am missing a cultural festival for THIS? I absolutely should have just survived in some woods or something, much easier and nicer I think. But no, I had to miss whatever-not and go survive in a cave. Still no mushrooms, sick of fish.
[!] A large section of pages are fully caked in mud, their words illegible from the damage.
16
I have traveled further along, I feel like I am going in circles. I feel tired, sleepy, but this is not the place yet.
17
I hate fish. Slimy disgusting things. The way they wriggle even after you kill them, I hate them. I hate fish.
I am still tired, though I feel as though something might be watching me, something I cannot see. The bats perhaps? That must be it. Maybe I can eat one.
[!] A depiction of an ‘ame woman brutally butchering several fish seems to have been shakily drawn out over the page. The journal skips several days despite the lack of water damage.
67 S.A. 21st of Frost’s Maiden
I did it! I found more mushrooms! The Aspects must be guiding me today. A nice, warm, cozy alcove filled with more mushrooms than I can ever need for the rest of this expedition. I for one am glad to be close to finally leaving this dreadful place.
Well, it is not all bad. The sounds of water against rock, the beams of sun and star, the cold whelming feel of it all. It would be a nice place to visit, just not to live, I suppose.
Regardless, I am far too exhausted to cook any of these yet, so for now I will simply lay down and rest my weary head. A new day tomorrow!
[!] The last section of writing seems to have been written over the water damage in a black sticky substance, though it maintains the same handwriting.
These things lost, all too soon.