Travelogue of Flint Silverspire, Moonday, Thirteenth of Abadius, 4721 AR
Let me preface this with a reminder to myself to eat these words: “Tomorrow will be difficult, I know it.”
The gap in my journal is of no coincidence, as yesterday was one of the most harrowing waking periods of my life. The day started as always, seeing to my spell preparations and invesitures between morning refreshment. I have been drafting some plans to remodel one of the Gauntlight's upper chambers into a small study, and yesterday I decided that it would be time to begin moving the myriad tomes found in the now-abandoned middle levels to the surface to beging my research in ernest. As is unfortunately typical of this place, however, strife would soon find me, this time with my guard down.
Within the lowest level we have as of yet reached, not all too far from where the Urdefhans once dwelled, we decided to take a small detour and investigate a supposed Daemonic presence. While Daemons are not exactly a topic that I find particularly interesting, the “Daemonic Fog” apparent in an offshoot cave was worth notice. Comprised of thousands of tiny Daemons drifting in the air's currents, this fog quickly enclosed upon and subsequently devoured all organic matter that entered (note that Cold Iron somewhat repelled the fog as expected). I debated simply dispelling the source that bound the fog, but the others were more interested in a winding path leading elsewhere.
Imagine my astonishment when here, deep beneath the earth (verging on the Darklands themselves, no less) we encountered feral Riding Lizards, the sort I have read about in books of Magaambyan origin. Far from home, they saw us as little more than food. A shame to kill creatures that have been known to pack bond with higher lifeforms, but nevertheless I won't pass up an opportunity to further refine my pyromancy, especially in Soot's absence.
This brings me to another event of note, that being Soot's departure. Perhaps his presence was required elsewhere, or whatever fickle and unexplainable magic bound him to this world faltered. In his absence, I fear I must once again focus my arcane practice towards destruction, once again slowing my studies into my ultimate goal - chronomancy. Alas, when needs must, I shall nontheless step up to the mantle. In his place, Theo has sent a rather odd man by the name of Rhett who speaks with the voice of decades past desite appearing not much older than myself. Perhaps he has a penchant for historical linguistics? Upon his arrival, my Memoir Map updated itself to depict his most striking features: his hat, his colourful whip, and his affiliation with Calistria. With this stranger in tow, we once again set for the Fog.
Dispelling the fog was a trivial effort for myself and Nali, but what lied behind it was far from a trivial matter indeed. If you, whoever is reading this, ever hears of a creature called a Derghodaemon, for Nethys's sake you should run for the hills. I remember little of the encounter: the feeling of a spell setting in, my thoughts turning to mush (in a way that only those who have wronged Cayden must feel each morning), and rationality itself slipping from my brain. Nali tells me it took me two or maybe three attemps to even muster any magic, and Morgeth did me the kindness of returning my dropped spell components. All I know is that it felt like I was vividly imagining a scene from a book, or perhaps gazing upon a faltering illusion. Despite this, I can clearly remember arriving at the Dawnflower Library back in Otari at an unreasoanly late hour, banging on the door for hours until Ms. Banderdash kindly allowed me inside. I didn't even think to ask if she had seen Soot at all, and I must repay her for lifiting the curse that nearly ended my career.
All of that occured but yesterday, and tonight we are headed into the depths yet again. This time, I shall exercise supreme caution, and shall remind myself to direct my studies towards magical countermeasures at my earliest convenience, lest I end up as dull as the average Andoren clerk.
P.S.
I know you've been snooping around in my spellbook, Theo.