Journal of the Mage Tower's excavation

After my research in the old libraries, I came across a map of the old Mage Order's tower. I managed to find it's remains in the mountains of the Dustari island, and started to excavate them. It's a hard task, given that the ground is frozen solid, but I received some help from an eager gang of minor demons. They come in handy as they are only as large as a man's hand.
Today, they brought up the first item. It resembles a breadknife in style, but it has been changed over the years by the tower's mystical energies and this season's harsh temperatures. Maybe someone will find a good use for it. Soon, the demons will have obened a hole large enough for me to enter the ruins and start to investigate myself.

0:10 - For this ice dagger, I think I will give it to the first person who can supply me with some things I need to keep the little demons going. I hope someone can bring them to me quick, even at this late hour, as I have a private apointment with Brigid later...

0:20 - I was lucky. Pope Arkanik II of The Black Cloak supplied me with the items, namely a bottle of water, an icecube, a mandrake's root and an iron nail. After this divine apointment I will see to finding more...

11:25 - I placed yesterday's items near the dig-site for my little helpers to fetch. They handed me a small bag filled with ancient coins before I left again. They also said they've spotted more kitchen utensiles down there. It's the center of the mighty order of Mages, and the first thing I come across is the kitchen...
Anyway, I'll try to clean a few of these coins to give out today.

This took longer than expected. This dirt is as hard as adamant, and it refuses to leave the coin's surface. But I managed to free two such coins of their coat. They appear to be some kind of currency, as they are all alike, but it is also possible that they were created to honor someone or something, and were supposed to be distributed among the mages back then. Also, I have no idea how they would end up in the kitchen, anyway.
My demonic diggers said they would be ready to open a hole large enough for me to enter safely. I'm really looking forward to that. Maybe I can access other parts of the tower through the kitchen, parts which have not crumbled yet. ... Maybe it is just me, but I think the demons are not telling me everything they saw down there...

15:30 - I've decided to give out the three coins I have cleaned by now, based on a list of questions to determine who is worthy. As I have no idea what these coins were created for, so this decision is a little vague. Anyway, I still have more coins to do researches on. I hope people enjoyed this contest, and Captain Cyrin Cyrilin made the first place, and received 2 such coins, while Conjurer Vierna Arilyon got one for the second place - both pirates from the Crescent Island. Dustari's High Priestess Sarid Horn was close with her third place. Looks like people are keen on these coins. I shall increase my research...

After taking a day off to celebrate yesterday's holiday, we returned to the site today - only to find part of the whole had caved in. I begin to wonder... the demons resumed work without a complaint - or am I getting paranoid, assuming that they do not want me down there? They said they were not that familiar with frozen ground, and had assumed it to be stable enough. Well, at least they won't make the same mistake twice, and have requested iron. I will set out for the mines to get them some. Before I left, though, the demons handed me another of these breadknives. I will see to hand it over to someone who wants it.

18:00 - I met some people who provided great assistance when I was trying to figure some questions concerning the craftability of certain items, to compare them to the requirements the mages of old faced back in their time - if I can ever get a hold of their supply lists. I could not resist to test these people's knowledge a little further, and so I selected Priest Kenny Horn-Sagesun of Dustari to receive this breadknife, while Cleric John Fiery of the same kingdom, who knew almost as much, received a coin which had been quite easy to clean, for a change.

After the fourth delivery of iron, the demons set out to construct some basic supporting structure. They say I would be able to enter in a day or two. We'll see about that. Suspicious little brute, I start to think they have found something down there they want to keep hidden or to themselves...
Be this as it may be, I have decided to make some room in my house in order to store anything too large to keep in a bag. Hence, I've decided to give away some items to those would need them, and I packed five sacks with a selection of such items. I will have to search for inexperienced citizens for these.

Eventually I found the time to give away the bags I packed two days ago. It was no big deal, and I think I should not waste parchment on that. Let those who receive it write their own legends, I say. I've spend whole yesterday moving rubble for the demons... said they were too busy to do it themselves, and after all, it's not that hard with the proper spells.
When I returned to the site, the demons announced that they came across two more items from the kitchen. And that it would still take them a bit to secure access for me - why am I not surprised? Anyway, I will scratch the dirt from these items... They appear to be another breadknive, and something vaguely platelike... although crusted beyond recognition. I wonder how long it takes me to clean it...

Just when I finished cleaning these two items, the demons handed me a scroll and beckoned me to translate it, which I did. Now I sit here, facing an ancient riddle. I wish I knew where exactly they took it from, whether they found in in what used to be the kitchen, or in a deeper region of the ruins. I can't wait to enter them myself. But I'm afraid I need help with this riddle. as far as I can tell, the scroll is magic, and I believe that something else will appear once the riddle has been solved. This neat combination of breadknive and plate will make a nice present for whoever helps me best.



21:00 - As it turns out, the scroll contained five riddles. I can't say I like the result of the last. As it turns out, my demons were of an evil breed. They delayed and betrayed me, and have left the site before I could confront them. I believe I can open an entrance for myself soon enough, and I need to know what they have been up to, what they stole or destroyed. As for the riddles, Kaptain Kot was most rescourceful in solving them, and received the breakfast set, while I gave newly cleaned coins to a few more, who came in second.

I will have to set out to excavate an entrance for me myself, I guess. It shouldn't take long, they may have delayed me, but they had to get the rubble from somewhere. I can't wait to inspect the ruins personally... and maybe find out what happened to it... and what the demons took away.

I took a few days off, doing some research on these demons, but to no effect. Actually entering the ruins was quite easy. All they had done is leave the entrance untouched, while they had indeed fortified the insides so I can safely investigate. I have no idea about what has been taken, or meddled with, but I'm getting a really bad feeling about these ruins. As it turns out, the kitchen is a mess, but mainly so because the tables are laying turned up, and the stves are at the ceiling - or, more acurate, what is the ceiling now. Could it be that the tower has been... somehow... turned arround and rammed into the earth?
I'm looking forward to examin all those rubbist on the floor of the kitchen... the former ceiling, that is. Also, the next room appears to be promising, a corridor with what appears to be wallpaintings - I need more light there - and there's a small office next to it. I intend to hunt these demons, though, hoping they can provide some evidence about what has been taken.

I've spent the last two days in the ruins. The scrolls and items to be found there are extraordinary, yet it will take time to decipher and decrypt them. I believe there are quite a few items among them which would be appreciated if I gave them away. But before, the demons - I found a trace of at least one of them. It says that he run to hide somewhere deep under the islands. I doubt that referrs to the caverns under the main island, as it's too traveled. I am convinced that this certain demon is planning to hide in one of the kingdom dungeons. It also says something about decoys, so we will have to check every dungeon... I also believe he took some kind of cheese grater with him. Settled dust also indicates the absence of two square objects.

It seems this demon had five helpers, which all turned out to be skeletons. I guess I should have a word with Bile about this one. Anyway, They have been slewn in the dungeons, and dropped their loot. Driken and Kenny found a coin each, Sarid and Ben aqquired cubes, and Hawk Cartes managed to kill the demon culprit, which held the cheese grater. I believe it can be used as bracers if some modifications are applied. I myself killed the last remaining skeleton, which was about to leave Dustari's dungeon. It carried a scroll, which may lead me to yet another of those treacherous demons.

It has been a while since I last wrote in this book, but I had important bussines to take care of. I came across rumors about a demon planning to leave the archipelagos, and I had to find out more about that. It will take another few days to be certain, though. For now, I have continued listing the items in the magetower's lowest... that is, it's first story underground, which once has been it's foundation. I managed to open what once must have been a small locker, and - apart from quite a nasty biting mushroom - there was one thing still intact in there. Gloves who once belonged to the famous cook and baker Ancaria, who was held in high regards for her tasty breads and pizzas.

20:45 - Seeing how these gloves aided the mage in baking and cooking - and fitting a recipe for breadcake scratched in the wall behind the sink - I have asked for the required selection of breads to give the gloves away. I would use them myself, but I hardly ever find the time to heat the stove up at all, so... Kleptin was the first one to bring a cull compliment of bread required, and I gave a coin to Sarid, who came second.

It was quite a fight I had with this mushroom. It tried to take over other kitchen lockers while I was away dealing with these gloves. I think the only way to secure what is inside is to 'conquer' them myself, or what's left of the insides after this strange transition this tower has been through. It will take a while to pick these rusty locks, keeping this magically enhanced sporegrowth at bay at the same time. I'll have a small elemental stand guard for tonight, and will return with some tools early tomorrow.

The elemental I left in charge yesterday did it's job okay, but just when I appeared it ran - leaving a note that it was quitting, looking to make a new life as a fisherman somewhere far away from anything remotely loke a mushroom. At least the shroom itself seems to be exhausted, too, and opening the first locker was not that hard. On the other hand, though, nothing inside had survived the tower's u-turn. From the smell, I would say that they kept some herb extracts in there. I collected the shards so I can put the pieces back together sometime, but this will have to wait till after I''m done with the kitchen.
Halfway through the second locker's lock, with a relaxed mushroom to keep me busy. I will stop here and continue tomorrow.

Still no sign of any prescious items still intact, but I'm getting used to fighting the shroom. Looks like it's getting tired, and it is likely that I will get another locker open soon. The smell of herbs gets stronger, but maybe that's just my mind, with all the magically charged fumes in the air. I hope at least some bottles of these liquids are still unshattered, so I can test them and study their effects on common food.

Eventually, the lock gave in. It looks pretty messy in there, shards and dried goo everywhere... a few scrolls and bottles I could retrieve, but it will take some tests to determin what exactly they are... recipes and herbs, macbe. I carried today's loot to my house to keep it safe for the time being, and maybe I will run some probing spells on one of the buttles before I go to sleep today. 

This yellow liquid has some strange qualities indeed. Specially to keep me up for hours, trying to figure out it's nature. The Tower's latent magic field has charged it, and most spells usually used to probe and examin materials is either reflected or swallowed without any reaction. Today, I will take a more pragmatic approach, using it on a selection of salads.

I think this particular bottle contains some kind of juice, of a citrus fruit of one kind or another. A close examination - and carefull tasting - revealed the sour taste, with some rather exotic components, which lead me to the conclusion that it contains a mix of juices of more than one kind of fruit. It did not have any ill effects on me after a few hours, and after trying some common recipes with a few drops of this magic ingredients, I feel comfortable to pass it on to someone who can make better use of it that I can.

16:30 - Always good to relax with a nice game of cards. I found some who participated in a little game, and eventually John Fiery won. I hope he is happy with what's left of the citrus juice mix. Now I can return to examin the other bottles, and maybe atempt to translate one of the scrolls. I just hope the mushroom hasn't gathered in strength when I eventually return to check the remaining lockers.

It takes time to identify these liquids... and this green one in particular, which I have decided to examin next. I discovered a small problem though, namely the room left for artifacts and loots in my special magically sealed closets. To lock all the remaining bottles in, I had to throw away some of the older artifacts, and with the help of Björn selected a few items go give away. Lacking time to arrange for more, we used a plain raffle this time. Myloko received a scroll describing the way to a brutally rare herb, Xeros was lucky to obtain a coin, and Cardone did not only pick the winning ticket to get a mysterious scroll about the carpace of strawberry cakes, but he also won the last jerkey from my storage shed.

I really have to do something about that shroom. It bit me the last time I entered the ruins, and I caught some strange kind of disease which kept me in bed till now. Meanwhile, the vile creature has taken over the previously opened locker and even developed an... eye. I think I will stody the remaining liquids while I try to find some sort of spell to deal with this sporegrowth once and for all.

Something unexpected came up. While filing through some papers, I came across the scroll from the demon who hid in the underground dungeons again. From a hunch, I took the time to decipher it, and found it to be a description of another demon's escape route. It took some time to interview an old seabear in Tanarthia, but by now I have converted the demonic coordinates in a format usable on the archipelagos. I have alerted the local fishermen, but they will not be able to stop the demon. Hence, I will need assistance from willing crews to hunt and take down the demon. Sinking his ship will do a good job in crippling his atempts to flight this lands.


19:00 - These demons were more sophisticated than I had expected. Aided by a group of evil ferrymen and women, he set out in his ship with black saild to leave these lands. Five ships followed in hot pursuit and managed to corner him near Harmonia, where, after a long and fierce fight full of malfunctioning spells, the vessel comanded by the Darkhood crew delivered the deadly blow to the enemy's hull, sinking him and his brute to the bottom of the ocean. Lucky enough, there was no escape from the cargo hold for this fire-born creature. All I could give the three brave victors were three shards of red crystal, which they may find useful sometime, and a random recipe from a pile I found in the tower's kitchen.

If there's one thing I dislike more about seabattles than cannonballs and the waving, it's the water. It took my clothes three hours to get dry - when I placed them in the fire. I still don't feel dry, and it looks like I'm developing a cold. Guess I'll just stay in bed for a few days. I think if this shroom hasn't infected me with his disease, I wouldn't be down with this cold now, but what can I do. I have some potions to experiment with, as well as a lot of reading to do - on how to fight such shrooms, in particular.

Finally, I have recovered. To get an update on the shroom, I sneaked inside the ruins and found it sleeping. I didn't dare to enter the the kitchen itself, I took a brief glance at a caved-in room next to it. My guess is that it was a storage shed, used for tools and such. Most are crushed beyond repair, but I managed to extract one saw from a pile of junk. Made of a material which appears to be gold, it's still hard enough to chew through the most sturdy trees. I think it would make a perfect whipsaw for a woodsman, and as I don't need any such tool underground, I will give it away. I summoned a group of young aspiring foresters and compared their skills with the lumber axe and other handy tools. In the end, Ghadier Miyamoto proved to be the most skilled wielder, and received this saw.

After another three days of reading on the influence of high-yield magic on plants and animals of any kind, I am no closer to dealing with this shroom than I was before. Essentially, all these ancient volumes have to say is that it always depends on the animal and the magic used, and that basically nobody is able to predict the outcome. One manuscript featured a quite nasty drawing of a magically mutated wren. Just home none of these decides that your house shall be their new breeding ground. Anyway, I guess I need a sample of the shroom in order to find a way to exterminate it.
Back inside the ruins I found out about another cupboard being taken by the growth. This board must be under the influence of a conservation spell as strong as I did not expect to find after all this time. Everything inside that was kept inside - a bunch of different fishes, appearantly - is still in perfect condition. Before I could take a closer look and examin it for any inscriptions or runes, the shroom attacked, using some of the fishes which it threw at me. I had to retreat, but I took the fishes with me. Maybe some skilled cook can turn them into a proper meal.

19:00 - After they managed to help me with some tricky questions my mediocre cookbook could not answer, I handed some of these fishes to Sarid Horn-Sagesun as well as Hawk Cartes. They also received some coins which weighted me down, hoping they will look good on their mantlepieces. Maybe they will be able to turn the hroom into a good meal once it is dealt with and the remains need to be removed.

Even though it means the mushroom will keep growing, I have to conduct more research before I can effectively attack the creature - and I will keep my presence at the site to a minimum until then. I have a bag full of liquids to examin, and it will take some time to figure out most of them. Also, I've received a delivery from the royal library today, with random volumes from the basement - it's usually the best way to get something from this library, as far as I can tell. If I don't get this shroom exterminated soon, it will probably take over the ruins, and then Bile help us all - even though the old bone probably won't.

One of these books is quite promising, yet strange enough it has no connection to the arcane arts whatsoever. It is an ancient volume from a series about gardening. If only I could get hold of the remaining volumes. I know that the days of this particular shroom are counted, now I have to figure out how to reduce that number. meanwhile, I have identified at least two of the bottles to contain some kind of goo which smells like tomato. My guess is that is was a sauce in ancient days, but their conservation spell failed. Another, smaller bottle contains a blue liquid. The usual tests with green salad and a piece of white bread has not revealed it's effect, so I will have to conduct a little more experiments with it. Hopefully, some of the liquid is still left when I'm done with it.
On a side note, I have found a collector of interesting plants who lives on the eastward island, who owns another volume of this series about gardening, and is willing to send it to me for further examination. I can't wait for the messenger to arrive.

The messenger arrived - without the package and the excuse that he handed me the book yesterday - which I doubt for obvious reasons. He then admitted that he was waylayed by a group of small men who took the book. As it turns out, his description rather fits the common battle mushroom that any men I know, and it wouldn't surprose me that the shroom has gained influence on them. I asked for help on this, and pretty soon the call was heeded. Sarid found the book I was looking for, while Domse brought me the messenger's bill from the insides of a mushroom. Seeing this, I believe the shroom's controle is not good enough to be afraid of it. I handed the two a bottle of vinegar and two of these coins respectively, and will start translating the part about ancient, poisenous mushrooms from this tome.

The journey I went on took longer than expected - how was I to know that the ship's captain had family to visit at almost every port we sailed to. And atop of this, the trip was not as fruitful as it was supposed to be, either. Magically enhanced plants are not as uncommon as it seems, but none of them strong enough to justify a proper extermination spell. It looks like I will have to come up with one myself.

It appears as if I can't leave town for a few days without more or less bad news waiting for me when I come back. A rogue group of skeletons, under no appearant leadership from Bile, have broken into my office and stole four freshly-cleaned coins. As it turns out, those were the same skeletons that were hired by one of the hideous digging demons a while back. I will hire a group of fighters to take care of the lot, shall they keep the coins, as long as these renegades pay for their evil deeds.
Eventually, after fierce battles, more than twenty walking bones found their demise at the hands and blades of ten fearless citizens. Solious managed to aquire two coins, and the other two were found by Sarid Horn and Rygell Phaeros respectively. It looks like I will still have to deal with these demons one day. After the shroom has been dealt with.

It appears that those skeletons were not only rogues, but also quite filthy ones. I caught some strange disease from them, causing fatigue and fever, and, lacking a proper cure, that kept me in bed and inactive for more than a month. I checked on the mushroom this morning, and it appears that it has been sleeping, too - no sign of further expansion. Either it is saving it's strength, or it does not feel like expanding it's territory if it is not threatened. If the later is the case, it will have something to worry soon. For I feel like threatening it now.
I came across a rather generic amulett-enchantment ritual, which might be able to contain the plague, if not even diminish it. It's dangerous bussines dealing with dark light, yet I don't see another way to do it. After compiling a list of ingredients, I asked some citizens to help me collect them, and Garglious Banathdel was the first to bring his share, only a few minutes before Legobomb delivered the rest. They received coins, two and one, for I heard that there is a growing market for these worthless pieces of shiny metal.