Kon looks over the satchel and prods experimentally at it for any indication of what the contents might be inside before lifting it and giving it a more thorough look over.

Elde Kon rolled 20 using 1d20+7 for Arcana/Occult/Crafting (most relevant)

Saidou would glance over at Elde, calling out quietly to him- "If you need more help with determining the purpose of those, let me know. Otherwise, I think it best for me to try and put the professor's paperwork back into some semblance of order."

Saidou would start to try and reconstruct the documents found, first sorting through partial pages to try and make more complete pairs out of any torn pieces. "Vos, the first two pages I saw lead me to think that the professor's occult study had him seeking the same ruin that we are. After all, the place we mean to find, Vorun's tower, was he not an elementalist? The pages that Spirit first brought to me, one of them looked like a circle. Possibly for casting, as I saw noted at the top of one of the pages, but possibly as a focus or spell preparation. It held a diagram that was built of at least four rings, with a box within, two triangles, and four sub-circles drawn at the 12, 2, 6, and 10 positions on a clock face. Another page had a text-filled circle, with words written in declining script from 4 written elements marked as Earth, Air, Water, and ... I think Dust? It's not easy to read... Here, what do you make of these, can you help me find order to this chaos?  Saidou presents the two pages to Vostiun for his appraisal. After that, he would start to try and examine the document pieces both drawn and written to build a logical progression from 'start' to 'end'.

"Uh, okay. Let me take a look." Vostiun looks at the pages handed to him.

"I'm not sure this is my brand of magic."

In reply to Vostiun Hephaurio (msg # 98):

Saidou would nod in response to Vostiun's comment. "Professor Endro was a specialist in Occult Studies of Primative Cultures. I more favor tomes, books, and rune, my spells come from academia arcane. Occultism isn't directly either of our flavor of favor, but I have studied enough of religion, nature, and occult practice to be generally useful." With a bit of a shrug, glancing around their ruin shelter, the shadow would let out a long exhalation.
 "I don't think any of us have an edge over another when it comes to the practice of the occult. It's none of our forte, as it were. But ritual aren't the same as conventional spells, I think they're more about knowledge, repetition, and rote... Not about a distinct flavor or magical spark from ones-self. So while this may not be your brand of magic... If complete, it's still a brand you can work."

"That wasn't quite what I meant. I've only studied religious minutae as it pertains to me." Vostiun says as he studies the papers.

In reply to Vostiun Hephaurio (msg # 100):

Saidou would nod, though with a bit of a frown. "I don't believe faith has much to do with Endro's work. Unfortunate." He continues to try and sort through the documents, to bring them into some semblance of pattern and order.

As the storm continues to rage around them, the intrepid adventurers take a moment to collect their thoughts, start a fire, and take stock of their gear. Elde Kon gives the satchel a thorough going over before opening it up and rummaging around inside.


Meanwhile, Vostiun, Samara, and Saidou pour over the dozens of pages that were scrounged up at the campsite. The pages are soaked from weeks of rain and mist, blown about into the tangled underbrush and torn apart by winds, some even show signs of purposeful damage.


Suddenly, Vostiun's eyes widen in fear and he snatches the papers, ripping them from the hands of a wincing Saidou, and stuffing them back into the chest before slamming the lid shut. Samara's fur stands on edge as she recoils from the documents almost immediately after Vostiun grabs them. Saidou and Spirit both cry out in pain as they grab their heads, a trickle of blood drips from Saidou's nose.

One hand to her chest, Samara reels back, then, "Saidie! Are you ok Sadie?" she helps support him as she dabs at the blood with her sleeve.

Saidou seems agitated as he staggers, hand flailing as to try and support his limp companion from it's perch on his shoulder. He goes reeling back from Samara's grasp one moment, only to clutch up at her shoulders the next. [Language unknown: "Ishe estameich p wit alel Hasice, ntera arevenlin her, acwhe ilalurai. Uras?"] the shadowfolk would mutter before a bloody snuffle-gag. Head twisting from disorientation, Samara would be left to support his lightweight form as his feet collapse from under him.

Spirit, tangled and hanging halfway out of his hood, seems to be shivering.

Vostiun closes his eyes and breathes deeply. "Let’s leave that alone for now."

He glances at Saidou and Spirit, "How bad is it?"

Saidou's response is to continue breathing heavily and snorting blood from his nose. He does not appear to want to speak, but instead wants to sit, still suspended by Samaras grasp.

Samara helps lower Saidou to a more comfortable position.
"Well. I suppose this should wait until we can make better preparations."
Having wiped the blood away, Samara will check Saidou's responsiveness, "Sadie, can you hear me? Do you know where you are?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:03, Sat 04 Feb 2023.

In reply to Samara al-Khafif (msg # 107):

With an awkwardly clipped tonality through bloody nose, "I can hear you, but I can no longer hear the secrets. I am in ruins." The shadowfolk would close his eyes, still obviously breathing but not making any effort to move from the position he was settled into.

Thoughts and prayers.

Haznut looks over at Saidou, concerned for her, but gathers that Samara is able to support her weight and he won't be dropped. "Saidou, Spirit, why don't you two lay down for a little. Relax, we're not going anywhere, those papers can wait." He clears a section to try to make it as comfortable as possible, rolling up his common clothing to make some sort of extra cushion for them.

After clearing the area, Haznut picks up the carefully wrapped torch, sniffing it a bit, trying to figure out of there's any scent from any special herbs having been used on it.

12:05, Today: Haznut Ingut rolled 18 using 1d20+4.  Nature/Survival, whichever is relevant.

After taking close to thirty seconds to try and center himself, Saidou's eyes open again. His expression is one full of hurt, more than physical lingering pain. "These documents, while they may be valuable, will have no use to us on this expedition. That which is written is too damaged and indiscernible ... And I somehow think the anger and rage, the betrayal and tearing to be drawn into them was part of the ruin left by the rage of the Water Head tribe. A trap by the goblins, maybe by their patron, or perhaps a secondhand and unintentional effect of the damage on what occult patrons Endro studied...

The restoration of the knowledge that the Professor held will have to be left to the librarians and document restorationists at Lepistadt... And I hope I can learn much from them on that topic by watching them do so. I don't want any of us bothering the pages more until then, without very... very good reason. Broken knowledge, rendered less than whole, is rendered less true than its intent. There is little this can teach us, for now." Saidou's voice had started weak, but he found a rhythm. The mental exhaustion and emotions have left an edge to his voice, one that only softened when he started speaking of the librarians with an almost reverent tone.

Saidou would nod an agreement with Haznut. "Yea... I think I need to rest. I am sorry that I won't be of much more use to you all... Let me at least clean these up, to keep them someplace safe." Saidou would carefully store the fragments of document and occult study, keeping sure to not try and examine them or read them closely again in the process.

As Haznut unwraps the torch it immediately flares up, the flames licking his hands and the wrap, but nothing is burned, in fact the flames exude no heat and do not combust the rags that were wrapped around it.

"Oh, well isn't that nifty. Lads and lasses, someone who doesn't see too good in the dark, hold onto that." He wraps the torch back up and sets it aside.

Kon offers up the contents of the bag, "Well, it's clear the goblins are either dolts or not motivated by greed.  10 gold and a vial containing-", he sniffs at the opened top briefly and then dips a finger in to taste test a drop, "-some oil, weapon I believe; oil of potency?"  He sets them aside and looks over the satchel again, "Nothing else appears to be special about this and the professor's inks and pens inside were destroyed."

Hoisting himself up off the ground and shifting once again, Kon starts to head out of the ruins, "I'll see if I can gather some wood for a fire.  Smokey is better than freezing.  Looks like Saidou could use less of that."  Slipping the satchel over his shoulder he proceeds outside to begin looking for kindling and small branches nearby for a fire.

"Aye, I'll help look for firewood. If we can find any mushrooms, the edible ones, maybe we can get together some kind of stew to raise spirits? Warm food always does best!"

"I have an idea about those notes... but, well, I suppose it can wait." Samara helps put the pages away.
Sighing, she says, "I do know a few recipes I could try."

In reply to Samara al-Khafif (msg # 116):

Saidou would give Samara a grateful smile. "Regardless of what is written in the notes, I was able to understand enough to say with much confidence that they are too badly damaged to be acted upon. Document reconstruction at the University can let us fill in the missing gaps with other research, as well as some of Professor Endro's other notes from his office to fill in the blanks. Unless we wish to risk the same kind of malicious mental attack again, all we could really hope for is additional risk without much chance of reward. But when we get back, you have as much right as I do, to watch the librarians rebuild this knowledge to be restored and taught as the professor's legacy. So don't worry about it too much. If we find something we need to dig the notes back out for, we will know to be cautious."
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:43, Sun 05 Feb 2023.

"I never knew being a librarian could be so dangerous. I hope these ruins are more welcoming than the notes."

Samara gives Saidou a comforting pat on the arm, then responds to Vostiun, "Oh, of course it is, Vos! 'Knowledge itself is Power,' after all. Many fear Knowledge, and some fear its power. Although, I will say, nothing has been anything close to welcoming on this trip."

"Ah, but you see Vos, I'm not a librarian. I've not handled damaged documents to try to seek their truths. Nor have I had much experience with handling occult documents, or documents so thoroughly and intentionally sabotaged. It is ignorance that was dangerous, and I am soaked-thru with inexperience and naivete." Saidou sure does sound mildly self deprecating there. With a motion of pulling at the air, the cup he had set to collect fresh water drifts down from its perch to take a sip.

Casually using Mage Hand to get his cup. Only muggles do things the hard way.