Visit to Grackisturgh – Contextualization

“While Griters is great at collecting information, sometimes he can be a bit didactic. I figured I’d fill you in on the rest of what’s going on. Review his log for more information and details (Field Research Journal Entry 32: Check in with the Jub Jub | Sleeper Island EU).”

“Following the Fall of the Cove almost a year ago, we haven’t been able to make much contact with our easterly allies from the Neathy Woods (Field Research Journal Entry 31: N | Sleeper Island EU) through the Tempest plains to the JubJub Peaks. After our march to Qwendolyn’s a week prior, we heard that the Dwarves of the JubJub Mountains had recently been troubled by internal events. After looking into the issue, a mission from long ago came to my attention regarding the assassination of the last king of the JubJubs, a mystery that remains unsolved (Adventure to the Jub Jub mountains | Sleeper Island EU). Lysing was able to provide a note found deep below the JubJub library at the time that they believed was related to the assassination of the former king. I approached Lysing about the not found and referred to the scholarly skills of the illustrious Bardy to translate it. The note continues as follows.”

Eyes of the reader as you cross these words know that that I am most likely dead. Fallen at the hands of an assassin or the victim of some vile concoction. As I put to parchment words that which is not meant for most eyes, as bring to light some of the darker secrets of this city.

For many months I have inhabited and though not that my life was not threated made my piece in the seediest parts of this city’s long shadows. Speaking with those that would kill their own mothers or worse yet shave their beards for a rough-edged copper.

Who are the burning Elder’s and what power do they hold not only on the power, wealth, and politics of this place but on its very soul?

I took my task with fervor as it was the dying wish of my Master, but the task was not easy and agents, whether from one house or clan or from many moved earnestly to dislodge me from the narrow ledge that I pursued. Information was sparce and hard to come by then a ray of light burst through the jet storm cloud of secrecy. I met a person who name I give knowing it to be one of many as is with those of his professions. “Gremtharn”

The words that parted his lips. at a price that I shall not divulge to you my reader least my soul does not find any rest in the afterlife, was that the Burning Elder’s were indeed the powers behind not only the Throne in GrackIstugh but have their dark tendrils in far darker corners and were the end of the Stone Singers.

While I shall die before this mystery is pierced, I leave to you my final clues. In the den of the Red Monk seek the flower that does not wither by the flame. In the chamber of Blood Stone unhinged the lid that should never be lifted. In the plains of the forgotten look South to the highest Jub peak and march thirty paces from the skull of Burosh and speak the words “Lyra”. In the Chamber of the Golems speak “Norminus” before the verdict.

It seems that archeologist Tsaran may know more but has left to transverse the Jub Jub peaks.

One grain of hope did not fall out of the sack of fate and that is there is one remaining Stone Singer, who has preserved the art from destruction. I lament the fact that I was not able to speak with the Stone Singer, just to know that art still exists would be worth a lifetime of searching. Only the Garden of Stone knows where that last survivor may dwell. Hornimus is the name of the Stone Singer.

I hope dear reader you continue my task as ill omen blow on the wind if the truth is not found out.

–L.V.

“There is much information to be gathered in this note, and the majority of our mission was trying to better understand what it may mean. It being in an older Dwarvish presents unique difficulty in deciphering the exact meaning of the author. On the way to the JubJubs, we stopped by the Monastery of the Rushing Stream and spoke with the younger monk Beatrice regarding the Red Monk listed in the note above. There, she explained that it was a monk obsessed with red brick that was determined to build his own monastery after studying there for a time and that his name is Quison. Numerous adventurers have seen him in passing, but it seems his monastery lies with in the contents of this log. (Red Brick Fort | Sleeper Island EU) Additionally, there was a criminal Gremtharn, noted in the log above, that was at one point living amongst the JubJub”

“We continued on our way northeast, passing an outpost that the JubJub constructed on the crossroads to defend against further Grimmal forces’ incursions inland, but not before finding some clockwork agents of Grimmys. They had notes within them that seemed to be from the mainland, in penmanship recognizable as that of people from Waterdeep. Later on, we talked with some visiting gnomes in Grackisturgh about gears we found on the malicious machinations; they determined that they were magically forged on the mainland in arcane manufactories that far surpass the capabilities of anything on Katashaka. This lines up with multiple findings going back to the lead up to the Fall and things since then. (Beauty and the Demonic Beasts. | Sleeper Island EU) and (Mission Report: Operation Seal – Scorched Earth | Sleeper Island EU) come to mind.”

“I left Griters to do the book reading while I was attending a class on stonecutting in the city. Mentions of many of the points in the note were found. The Skull of Burosh, mentioned when the JubJubs first arrived on the island on a hill in the north of the Tempest Plains. Additionally, the Chamber of Golems was scene by a man named Gillahan who approached the Tsaran fort some years ago and was banished by the wizard to a strange place where he was asked of his verdict. His description of events seems to line up with a recent experience by the adventurer Bardy (Murder on the Shadowfell Express | Sleeper Island EU) but his description of how the proceedings went was ever so slightly different, with the Golems giving him little time if at all to speak, while Gillahan seemingly was allowed to escape after begging dearly for mercy. We also found tail that Hornimus left through a portal to a desert.”

“There are many things that remain secret; we did not find this Gremtharn, and no one was willing to discuss the Burning Elders with us. The Garden of Stone remains illusive, as well as the more specific location of Hornimus, who is likely the key to the secret of the Burning Elders. The Blood Stone and its chamber remains a mystery, something esoteric and beyond the realm of the layman. These Burning Elders… who are they? Who are they connected to? It troubles me, given the danger of the places listed, that they would be so powerful and yet wield so much influence among our allies the JubJubs that no individual would dare to utter their names or speak with us further at their near mention.”

“I think my worry is not for naught, because as we left the city, Horace received an ominous note, warning us that ‘they’ are watching.”

“If anyone finds something more about anything listed here, contact me or Griters for further notes.”

-The one called Twee