Well my
friend, this is it. Today we leave on our adventure across Methtintdour.
I have
packed all we need; food, drink - but not ale after the celebrations last week
- and quills and parchments to record our adventures on.
I've
given my diary the working title of "A road well travelled" (just to
get something down onto the front of it).
Come Tomepicker, let's lock the door and head out into the Northern lands.
Farewell Soulhill. I hope to see you again some day.
We followed the Simi river North from Soulhill for several days until we came to the settlement of Merelee. It seems that travelling wizards are not a popular choice around here. Both Tomepicker and myself headed through the main area looking for a bed for the night but instead were greeted with abuse, or else shunned.
I did eventually find one person willing to speak, and they told me that a previous visit by a travelling wizard had resulted in their beautiful lake drying out. Something to do with this wizard stealing the crystal from the lake bed.
Verid, the local wizard at the castle, has been unable to fix this so I tried to help and summoned up an aquarific spell to replenish the lake with the much needed water. However, the people here are still wary of me, they don't believe that I am here for good.
I will have to find this other travelling wizard - Yermej is his name - and see why he took that crystal.
We've continued with our journey North along the Simi River, and it has taken us through a place called the Grimwoods. If ever a place has been given a suitable name, then this must be it. The river seems to ooze through the woods, and as for the trees themselves they just seem to be limp and make me feel depressed to look at them. I can hear no birdsong around these trees, and when the wind does blow through them it seems to sigh.
I was so glad to reach the edge of the forest, but then I saw a sight from my earlier years; the castle of Malgage. An isolated settlement, this place showed some signs of recent Fireling damage to the walls of the castle. This wasn't my doing from before.
After finding the name of the new local wizard - Tam - from one of the residents, I sought an audience with him to discover the cause of the fireling marks. Seems like Tam and Verid (from my last stop off at Merelee) had fallen out over lands some time ago and tried to destroy each other. Those poor residents must have feared for their lives. Anyway, the Peacemakers sorted it all out and everything is hunkydory now.
I spent some time chatting with Tam and telling him that I was imprisoned here many years ago by the Wizard Elsile, and how I defeated him and freed the locals (and those Goblins) from the mind grip he had over them.
After hearing this, Tam then told me to head further North to a place called Drakesnest if I was exploring the land. Although, he wouldn't tell me what I would find there. He said it would make things from my past make sense.
Following a welcome rest, and wonderful food, in Tam's castle we've headed further North into the Glassy Mountains. Tam has given me fur skins to keep warm as we head higher and higher into the snow levels.
During our slow ascent into the heavens, Tomepicker has become agitated ever since I told him where we're going. He's become so unpredictable, and seems to want to rush onwards towards this Drakenest place.
The mountain is extremely cold, and the snow underfoot is making my progress very slow and difficult. With Tomepickers help we dug out a snowcave, just large enough for both of us to rest in overnight. I threw some of the fur skins down, whilst wrapping up in the remaining ones and slept overnight in the cave.
Tomepicker slept at the entrance and helped keep the worst of the icy winds out. This morning I've taken a drink of snow water and herbs, warmed by Tomepicker, and recorded my thoughts in this diary. We'll be heading onwards shortly.
The weather has turned as we head higher up the mountain. Tomepicker is positively leaping beside himself now. What is wrong with him?
We found a small group of trees, and beyond that a much larger cave than the one we dug last night. Tomepicker stood outside the cave and crooned like I've never heard before.
What followed was a sight that took my breath away. Two magnificent dragons - one pure white, one pure black - soared above the trees and came to rest by Tomepicker.
Once settled I recognised these Dragons as Snowscale and Firewind; Tomepickers parents. Snowscale looked very well - especially for a Dragon that had died saving me from Elsile's prison! So this was where they had come from when I was entrapped in Malgage all those years ago. This was what Tam had meant about understanding my past.
The rest of the day was spent in and around the cave as Tomepicker became reunited with both parents. I rested, wrote in my diary, and looked at my parchment map wondering where to go next.
There is no other way onwards than to go backwards it seems. Before we can progress across Methtintdour, we're going to have to head back down the mountain pass and revisit Malgage. I suppose one good thing about this is that I'll get to try their local delicacy - steamed ice partridge. I didn't get the chance when we passed through previously.
Tomepicker is settling down again after meeting up once again with his parents. I hadn't really thought anymore about Snowscale and Firewind after we departed once the Stracyl of Unity was reunited. I guess it had always been in the back of Tomepicker's mind about his parents, and as we got closer to the Glassy Mountains they must have called out to him like they did before - when he first tried flight to save me.
Well, that was a long time ago - and another tale completely - so it's back to our current adventure. I've been studying the map I brought with me, and I think once we leave Malgage, we'll head East towards the coast. There's a small Island I've heard talk of that has taken my interest.
We’ve headed steadily south down the mountains and back towards Malgage, without any major incident on the way. Once back at the castle I did finally sample their ice partridge. What a flavoursome dish it was too.
The castle cook took great pride in telling me that nowhere on Methtintdour does this meal taste as good as it does here. Something to do with the fresh water that it steams in apparently flowing from the icy heights and mixing with herbs and minerals on its way he claimed. However, I thought it more to do with it being a fresh caught bird, and not one that had been left lying about for a while!
Whilst wandering around the local shops at the castle, I’ve been asking about, and hearing more of, the mysterious Island just off the mainland in the Estensea. Common knowledge is that there is history on there somewhere, but no one knows where exactly. That is were we’re heading next.
I write this whilst sat on the beach looking out over the Estensea towards a small island in the hazy distance. That is where I want to be heading next but the swell from the waves is causing me concern, as it is too great for me to use a small vessel to cross in. I need to find another way to reach the island.
The beach here is scattered with lots of materials washed up out of the sea. I am sure that there will be something amongst it all that I can use to get me there. Come Tomepicker, let us go comb for treasure.
Our beachcombing proved less than spectacular yesterday, with the only useful materials found being canvas, rope and discarded cooking vessels (where these all came from I am still trying to work out). However, I believe that I can find a novel way to reach my Island with just these items.
I recall from one of my many books on alchemy that if I were to drop a metal pot into a container of salty sea water, then a reaction would occur releasing a gas lighter than air.
I plan to trap enough of this gas inside the canvas and then drift across to the Island, with Tomepicker assisting me as needed. I imagine that it will take most of today, and tomorrow before I have created enough light gas.
This is such a find that I have to report this back to the other wizards as soon as possible. Once we return to the mainland, I must send a parchment to Soulhill.
Whilst waiting for the gases to form, I stood on the grassy hill of the Island and noted a thin crevice below my feet. I could see a cavern of sorts, and so went to investigate.
Once I had found the small entrance, hidden by an over hanging bush, I entered cautiously. To my amazement there was Runic writing on the rock walls within the cavern.
I have translated it as best as I could, and believe it to read; “We three have almost reached the new land. The lawgivers have carried us safely this far. It is now time for us to begin our task.”
I believe this to be a message from the Giant Sorcerer, Master Wizard and Wizard of Light, written just prior to their arrival on Methtintdour, and the start of our history. This is truly an important find.