Rebeccah sets down the coded book to focus on the strange one.  "Yeah, it is.  It must be some kind of magic to look like it does.  I wonder what it takes to read it.  Got any ideas?"

He looks up from what he is trying to read.  I'm getting bits of as I concentrate on it.  I'm just going to keep trying one word at a time.
He then turns back to doing just that.

Tath stood quietly watching the hall the others were exploring as well as the room they were in. Nodding to Lam as he relayed the message that they were heading upstairs, he then noticed Rebeccah and Daniv discussing a book that they were trying to read. "Best be careful with such things. Some stories speak of curses being bestowed up such items."

Daniv looks up at Tath and gives a shrug.  Saying this is probably going to bite me in the arse later, but how much more can we be cursed?
This message was last edited by the player at 06:34, Sat 23 Dec 2017.

Tath has to grin and shrug, "Yea, at the moment not much."

In reply to Tath (msg # 75):

Jory, kirkrin Sal, this place looks really gone over, we may end up having to scrap together material just for torch igniters.   Lam stops back at the closet and indicates, might as well open this.  Cover me Sal I am going to try to follow Jory's techniques - Lam listens at the closet door (hear noise), checks for any traps then opens it such that he is not standing in front of it when it opens.

In reply to Lam Durus (msg # 76):

Sal stands back, and covers Lam.
Looking left and right, watching behind them, too.  Just before Lam opens the door, Sal takes a step back.
"Be careful, a lesson I learned when I was little.  Monsters always hide in closets!  Or under your bed."

"Good one, Daniv."  She continues to try and decipher the strange text with Davin.  "Who knows, maybe there is something here that can help us.  Besides, I'm in no shape to go off exploring with the others.  This gives me something to do."

Daniv and Rebeccah study the strange book.  Slowly they begin to understand what it is they have.  It is a spellbook.  The writing seems to be in Common, but none of it makes sense.  A word or two becomes clear as they focus on it, giving them hope that they may yet be able to comprehend it.

The upper floor looks to have been completely looted.  The four rooms on the South side of the building contain little that could be useful.  They were living quarters many decades ago.  Whatever clothing was left behind is mostly rotted away.  There are a few scraps left that could be used to make torches, but that's about it.  The hallways form an H.  The West side of the - part is wall, which is likely part of the main room.  The East side looks down into an overgrown garden.  The North end of the building has five more rooms that appear to be in much the same shape as the South rooms.  Two sheets of paper with prayers written on them survived the years and the sacking.

Jory picks up the two sheets with prayers and moves down to the main room, where the fire is.
While moving down the stairs, he again checks for recent tracks of rats or other edible animals.
He sits down near the fire (but not too close) and starts to read the prayers.
He's quite disappointed that there are no dry clothes to be found upstairs.
He hopes that the prayers will lift his mood.

In reply to Jory Ranglore (msg # 80):

Re joining the group, Lam describes all that hey found and saw. Basically the Orcs and Goblins ransacked this place fairly well.  We have a few remnants of cloth to make a few more torches with.

Seeing Daniv and Rebeccah hard at it reading a book, Lam sets down by them, anything good guys?  Squinting over their shoulders, Say, what is this book?  Can I take a look when you are done?

As Lam waits his turn he stands and sighs,  We need to make plans for the night here, watches and then where to go next?
This message was last edited by the player at 01:34, Mon 25 Dec 2017.

Jory answers Lam: "I've found something else which is interesting: two sheets of prayers, probably prayers to the goddess of this temple. I'm reading them now.
I offer to do the first watch and I suggest that we stay here tonight."

In reply to Jory Ranglore (msg # 82):

While the others are reviewing the prayer pages, Sal finds some wood and wraps old cloth around them.
"Never know when you'll need a torch."

Deniv turns to Rebeccah.  Mayhaps, if we had pen and ink, we could copy what we see to back of the pages of that log book.
He looks around them, then picks up the crossbow bolt shafts.  Or, we could make our own.  They won't be as good as the real thing, but it can work.

Jory notices plenty of rodent tracks and traces throughout the temple.  It's likely Keestake's main diet.  When the rest of the group returns, the old man has several on a stick over the fire.  Melisana stares at the rats with a look of horror.

Weariness sets in with the group.  Even though the sun is just starting to set, the trials of the past few days have the group exhausted.

Jory waited till everybody had lain down to sleep and then he took off his studded leather armor and his wet trousers.
He put the wet armor and trousers somewhere to dry during the night.
Clothed in just his loincloth, he kept watch for the first two hours, listening for any sounds of impending danger.
If nothing happened, he would wake Lam to take the second watch, or if Lam was absent, he would wake Sal.

In reply to Jory Ranglore (msg # 86):

Trying not to embarrass himself as he ate the rat, it was just so delicious.
"I dont remember the last time I had rat and it tasted so good."
Complimenting the cook, and just thankful to have some food in his growling stomach.
Getting almost to close to the fire, to warm his body, and dry his clothes, as he wears them, Sal drifts off to sleep.  Right before he does he says to Jory.
"Wake me when its my turn for watch."

"I'll worry about pen and ink another time.  I don't think we'll find much of that around here."  She moves over to let Lam have a look.  "Find anything else of interest?"

Rebeccah volunteers to take first watch, too.  "I got a ride and a nap here.  It's the least I can do."

In reply to Rebeccah (msg # 88):

Lam thanks Keestake for the meal, does his best to not be grossed out and like Sal Enjoys the fresh food.  Thanks Keestake, tha twas taste and smiles at him.

Lam takes his turn looking over the book, This is complicated, I have read some books on plants and also schematics about carving wood but this may take a bit of time to understand

That night Lam also takes off his padded armor and soaked cloths and places them by the fire to dry wearing just his loincloth.  Lam awakens for his watch setting his Spear and Battle Axe at the ready. He will also make sure Sal is up to help out. Once his shift is over he will wake Daniv and Kirkrin for there turn.  While on watch he will keep an eye on Keepstake, all the ways into the room plus try to read and understand that book better.

Yawning when woken Jory, that time already for my turn at watch, ok, I'll wake Sal too for two per watch, you and Rebbeccah get some sleep now, anything happen on your watch?

Daniv looks at the broken bolt shafts, thinking about what he might be able to do to make ink.  He peels the fletchings free from one of them, then breaks the shaft again.  Using one of his makeshift knives, he whittles the end of the smaller piece to a point.   looking about, he spots the fire.
Pulling a stick from the fire, he uses it to scrape some of the ashes out and uses a thin but wide piece of curved wood to collect them.  Squeezing water from his still damp pants, he stirs it into the ashes, but he is unhappy with the consistency.  Reaching back to his wound, he picks at the scab until it starts bleeding again.  Ding the best he can, he brings the piece of wood up to the wound to collect some of the blood.  One hand applies direct pressure to stop the bleeding again, while the other hand uses the longer piece of shaft to stir the blood into the ash mixture.
I think I've got it.  I think I have the ink made, he says as he gets up and steps over to where Keestake has the food prepared.  Rat, huh?  Definitely the better choice, since the only other meat sources on this island seem to be us, the orcs, or the goblins.  He sits back down by his plank of ink and begins to tear at the rat to eat it.

Jory and Rebeccah sit quietly as the others rest.

Jory has trouble to stay awake and therefore he says to Rebeccah:
"I'm going to wake Lam now. I'll take another watch at the end of the night, after I've slept. Apparently, I'm more fatigued and sleepy than I thought."

Jory then wakes Lam, explains his situation and asks Lam to wake him for the last watch of the night.
When Lam has taken over the watch, together with Rebecca, then Jory lies down to sleep.

Tath sat by the fire quietly eating his share of the rat, apparently you could stomach anything if you were hungry enough. After eating he arranged himself a spot near the fire to sleep, laying his weapons close. "Wake me when it is my turn to take watch."

After a moment he propped himself up on an elbow and looked over at Keestake, "I got a question if ya don't mind Keestake?"

I'll help cover a watch, too.  Just pick the one cor me.  He plans to use his pen and ink to copy what he can read in the spell book into the blank pages of the captain's logbook.
Finally, he dozes off close to the fire, using the nearly dry cloak as pillow and blanket.  Despite the wet, the woolen garment keeps him warm.
His dreams start off filled with images and memories that make him twitch, moan, and whimper.  But, then he settles down, calming, quieting.  He shifts position, even twitches some, but his sleep seems more peaceful until he is awakened for a watch.
Moistening his ink, he begins working at copying what he can read into the captains' logbook.

Keestake turns and looks upon Tath with wild eyes and nearly toothless grin.  "Yes, friend?  Anything!"