Grey Sands Exploration, Invex 5th, 298.

My intrigue at the sands started long ago when assisting with the building of the Seld Road. I spent many day and night filling bags of sand on the beaches outside the village. I was warned against entering, but always wished to see the insides. Subsequent visits yielded little, as I was forced back out when I was no more than a few paces into the village. I needed more help to protect me and possibly be a deterrent to aggression.

The group that went to explore the Grey Sands was very large. All in total, we had Myself, Stagtus, Zuiul, Corvo, Cobian, Flar, and Grarix. I felt very confident we would be able to fend off any aggression from the local residents. Our walk out there was uneventful, thankfully. Everyone came along to explore, so all the games and food I had gathered for the beach party has gone to waste. I will salvage what I can for our Carnival night, which I still need to plan. I should really get to that soon. But I digress…

Upon arriving, we were no more than 4 steps into the village before the sailors and marines began assailing us. We fought them off and continued exploring. We found an office building with a second floor overlooking the village. We also found a burnt out villa, with no indication of what caused the fire or how long ago it had raged.

We made our way to the docks on the north side of the village. There, we encountered a drunk sailor milling around. We attacked, as we were accustomed to from previous encounters, but this sailor was different. He began speaking to us so we ceased hostilities. He angrily slurred that he was not going to “invite us to the party.” More of his friends arrived and in the heat of battle, he was knocked out. Searching him revealed a key. I stitched him up and carried him along with us. Cobian took the key and we began to continue our exploration. We heard merriment and song carried on drunken voices ring out from the east. After much investigation, we found the source, and the key granted us access.

Upon opening the door, we found drunk and celebrating sailors and marines. We laid their injured friend down and began to greet them. Our words fell mostly on deaf ears, as their anger was at our intrusion. No amount of apologizing, nor assurances of peace steadied their own hands. We were forced to fight and fight we did. In dizzying arrays of metal, stave and whip, they fell before us with little threat to our own. Cobian was the only casualty, though I feel his bleeds were from lucky strikes rather than skilled maneuvers. We searched the room, revealing locked coffers and chests. As Stagtus worked to open them, the rest of us remained on guard. More and more sailors poured in, until finally, we heard the door close and lock behind us. Luckily, we had the key, so the effort was futile on their part. Banging on the wall, followed by shouts of “Keep it down” and “You are ruining the Party” assailed us. They even threatened to send “Brutus” in after us, whoever that was. We dispatched the final ruffians and took what we had found with us back to the beach. We fought our way, mobbed by up to 8 sailors and marines at one time. Covering each other’s movements, we dispatched many, then fled to the beach to return to Iridine.

Sadly, I learned nothing of the history of the village, nor did I find anything of note for future generations, except that the locals are not fond of people in their midst. Another expedition may result in more uncovered information, though I will put that off until another season. Perhaps when it is colder, they might huddle in their shacks and be less inclined to venture forth to greet our inspections.

- Jageris Aurilius

Aera Temple Exploration, Palut 12th, 298

Through my wanderings in the city, I came across a strange location southeast of where many folks hunt for dog food, the Rat Pits. I knew the Aralax Caverns were to the southwest, but I knew nothing of the corridors that led to the southeast. Upon my first visit, I found many strange rooms and dilapidated structures, as if an old city was buried under the newer one.

I took Stagtus along for a second visit, diving further into the area with a bit more investigation. We found a pit, filled with red sand. No doubt a gladiator arena for blood and sweat. We found a small altar to Aera, a war deity. And an ancient furnace, which lit seemingly without fuel, but burned hot enough to forge weapons. There was a flooded bedroom with a rotting old chest, whose lid could be forced open. When one forces it open, a grinding sounds somewhere deeper into the area. He and I could not find the source of the grinding noise, sadly.

There was another room with a rotting scroll rack and air thick with some foreign substance. So much so, it was hard to even breathe inside without covering one’s mouth with hand or cloth. We ventured further into the ruins, if you could call them that, until we found a stairwell leading downwards. Deep into the underside of the city we went, accosted only by the occasional rat.

On the bottom floor was unlike anything I had ever seen. A carved out hallway led to a dead end where a silver streak ran along the floor. The color change in the walls was apparent, though still unexplained. Why the sudden stop of carving it out?

The real mystery is further down the corridor, where you come to a large, open room. Inside the room is a perfectly circular mirror, flanked on either side by large columns. The mirror is beautiful, the surface shimmering as the light catches it at different angles. There is nothing else in the room. No placards or parchments, nor artwork, nothing. Only the mirror and the columns.

During one such exploration, Stagtus and I enlisted the help of the party gathered for our monthly outings. I sadly can not remember all those who aided, but we had a large party of at least 8. We investigated each area, meticulously searching each nook and cranny for any clues of the history or purpose of the area. Sadly, out examinations yielded no fruit….the mysteries still remain. We posted one person at all major locations throughout the temple complex, but when the chest was opened and the grinding noise commenced, no one outside the room heard a thing. None had a clue about the mirror, tunnels, or anything inside the temple. One suggestion was to have someone visit the mirror in Monlon, at the same time someone visited the mirror in the lower level, to see if perhaps they were connected. That experiment will have to wait for another day, though I eagerly await the results!

Another small piece of my home city cloaked in a seemingly invulnerable shroud of mystery. I shall research the subject more in the library. One day we will uncover the histories of these places for all to know and enjoy. I will not let the ravages of time take away our rich and beautiful past.

- Jageris

1st day of Tulcas in the 298th Year of the Republic [04/08/2020]

It was the first of Tulcas, my least favorite of my least favorite month of the year. Nothing good ever happens on the firsts, and never in Tulcas. I slowly made my way to Hobbe's to look at some new boots, but could not handle his cheerful disposition long enough to make a decision. That was when I encountered a Vigile going red-faced in some type of shouting-staring contest with Ahirom. I knew the poor Vigile would lose, and walked over to inform him.

"…not seen in DAYS! What do you mean you don't know? HOW do you NOT KNOW?!" he shrieked, spittle flying from his mouth into Ahirom's shiny clean-shaved face. I don't think he noticed, let alone cared. "What seems to be the trouble here?" I chuckled with authority, hoping the mere flash of a purple armband would defuse the situation. A Guard had recently been arrested for indecent exposure and I wanted to avoid it becoming a trend, or records of my own past dalliances to be thrust into the public spotlight. The Vigile turned his gaze to me and whined, "And the worst part is I'm not even supposed TO BE HERE today!"

The officer explained he was filling in for another man who had not been seen in several days. He was supposed to play in some sporting league with other off-duty Vigiles but the game would now have to be post-poned. I reassured him the Guard would look into the case of the missing Vigile and that he could go about his day, he attempted to correct me that without the other Vigile he would be forced to work a full shift but I strategically walked away. That wasn't important anymore, because now I was getting hungry. I knew today was going to be a bad day. I asked Ahirom to join me on the search (for a meal), and he, I assume, agreed by slightly inclining his head in such a way that the light caught his eye in an odd twinkle.

I stopped into Valanai's leather shop, I knew she always kept a bottle or two of wine behind the counter for preferred customers, where I encountered Elseren, Oddr, and Nartireo selling their haul from a patrol they took without their dear Captain. I offered to let this transgression slide if they distracted Valanai while I downed two or three crackled bottles of foul-smelling wine, and they reluctantly agreed. No longer hungry, I lead our now well-formed search party out of the town. I felt a need for some fresh air after all that wine, and decided we should start by hiking the trail up the rockslide.

Signed - Godo, Captain of the Guard

Scran 5th, Evening

Tragedy struck Franilus today, as there was a surge in attacks by Cineran forces. Dozens of troops rushed the Legio protected areas, even getting so far as to the Republic docks. Citizens of Franilus who remained behind said they had not seen a push like that in many years.

“They just kept coming. I saw a few even rest in our baths at one point! Now we have to drain the baths and refill them, to get rid of the Cineran Stench!” a local man told us. Another local resident reported, “They kept rushing the docks, group after group. Thankfully that salt old sailor there knew what to do with them! I saw him down at least 10 Cinerans without much effort. A hero, truly….maybe not the one we hoped for, but the one we needed when times were tough.”

Sadly, casualties piled up on both sides, leaving many corpses scattered all around. One adventurer group in the area had the unfortunate luck of meeting a group of Cinerans head-on. Our heroic young fighters were caught unawares by a gang of ruthless Cinerans invading the northwestern battlezone. Most of the adventurers made it to safety, unfortunately one healer was not so lucky. Their name has been withheld due to privacy concerns.

Reports indicate as many as 8 Cineran troops surround the young healer and beat them unconscious. In a sickening display of aggression, they paraded their unresponsive body to the gates of the Iridine Force’s Stronghold. Local authorities closed the Gate for safety, unknowing that one of their own was trapped on the other side. Taunting the troops inside as they did, they dropped the healer’s body at the foot of the Gate.

Is there no end to Cineran brutality and aggression? When we will we finally see peace in Franilus? Hopefully the Legio has an answer to this horrific aggression.

- Jageris