Deserts are strange, wide, unruly things that are far too bright by their suns for anything other than torture. Â And they don't seem to know how to stop. Â Or just don't want to, really. Â Perhaps they enjoy it. Â I bet they do. Â [ink blot]
Despite my frustration with this odd terrain, though, I cannot help but be amused~  There are those of the surface who would find this 'plight' the most ridiculous thing, I can only imagine.  And compared to many plights, it really is the company of ridicule.  I have said it written it before, and so shall again, that at first, (well, at always) deserts seem to offer such promise and intrigue; questions of what may be buried beneath all the sands blown through time, questions of what was once here to wear new-sand from once-stone.   How much may be found by an eye knowing how to look! Quite a bit, I would think. Or so should think. In fact, have found! In some respects, anyway. [ink blot] Not that I know much of deserts, but I know some of seeking knowledge~
But they are too open, the deserts; too full of storms of sand and dust, not that I expect anything hospitable, but the worst of it, the absolute worst, is the lack of places to hide from the infernal sun, by the gods and the hells. How terribly bright must a place be? [ink spot] Very bright, as is apparent.  They warn of heat in the books,  but that beaming light will scald the eyes before the skin, in the sun's hour.  I do not believe the deserts wish any so comforted by darkness to see naught but the sand (which is just as bright as the sky in places, I’ll add!) and the toes of their own boots (or feet... if one has feet) during the light hours on the surface side. The place conspires to blind me. How troublesome~   But it all still is so exciting, and my amusement, really, cannot be curbed, not yet.  I have heard murmurs of interesting topics by the occasional traveling scholar stopping in the small, dust-ward settlements, so perhaps I will be able to find what they seek.
[There is a slight shift in the script, it is now somewhat more hurried, at though the following were written at a different time than the above paragraphs.]
And it may be here! Here I have found something, and it is most exciting. I have no care to delay my investigation further by off-rambling of formality in script, so the notes shall begin~
·        North of Ul’dah, marked as an Excavation Site on the local map.
Despite my frustration with this odd terrain, though, I cannot help but be amused~  There are those of the surface who would find this 'plight' the most ridiculous thing, I can only imagine.  And compared to many plights, it really is the company of ridicule.  I have said it written it before, and so shall again, that at first, (well, at always) deserts seem to offer such promise and intrigue; questions of what may be buried beneath all the sands blown through time, questions of what was once here to wear new-sand from once-stone.   How much may be found by an eye knowing how to look! Quite a bit, I would think. Or so should think. In fact, have found! In some respects, anyway. [ink blot] Not that I know much of deserts, but I know some of seeking knowledge~
But they are too open, the deserts; too full of storms of sand and dust, not that I expect anything hospitable, but the worst of it, the absolute worst, is the lack of places to hide from the infernal sun, by the gods and the hells. How terribly bright must a place be? [ink spot] Very bright, as is apparent.  They warn of heat in the books,  but that beaming light will scald the eyes before the skin, in the sun's hour.  I do not believe the deserts wish any so comforted by darkness to see naught but the sand (which is just as bright as the sky in places, I’ll add!) and the toes of their own boots (or feet... if one has feet) during the light hours on the surface side. The place conspires to blind me. How troublesome~   But it all still is so exciting, and my amusement, really, cannot be curbed, not yet.  I have heard murmurs of interesting topics by the occasional traveling scholar stopping in the small, dust-ward settlements, so perhaps I will be able to find what they seek.
[There is a slight shift in the script, it is now somewhat more hurried, at though the following were written at a different time than the above paragraphs.]
And it may be here! Here I have found something, and it is most exciting. I have no care to delay my investigation further by off-rambling of formality in script, so the notes shall begin~
Ruins by Ul’dah
·        North of Ul’dah, marked as an Excavation Site on the local map.
- - Â Â Though there do not seem to be many, if any, excavationists present.
- -   Which is excellent. In some ways.
- - Â Â Perhaps they are on a long break?
- - Â Â Stream runs though, fairly shallow.
- - Â Â A decent number of relatively small, dark creatures are present.
- - Â Winding path down the cliffside enables access.
- - Â Note:Mostly flat on the way down, Vathen could certainly make the trip there and back without problem, even carrying much more beyond myself.
- Â - Â Expansive.
- Â - Â Appear to lead below the surface.
- Â - Â Toppled in quite a number of places, various directions.
- Â -Â Though much more has fallen beyond stairs instead of before them.
- Â - Â Arches, grand stonework, steps leading up to an underground entrance.
- Â - Â Rubble blocking the way (not that it cannot be climbed over~)
- Â -Â Spriggans
- Â - Â Aggressive if approached too closely, but seem to wish avoiding conflict.
- Â - Â Always seen carrying white, crystalline stones, or gems.
- Â - Â Rather protective of them.
-  -  Dark in appearance, like small balls of soot, with two bound.. appendages? In addition to tiny arms, legs, and a face. Tiny yellow eyes, large mouth. (Mostly typical.)
- Â - Â The stones may have some Aetherical quality to them.
-  -  As much as I would care to continue this search within the ruins themselves, considering the sheer amount of these creatures, and that the stones they hold do not appear to match the surrounding rubble, I may delay for caution. For now. [ink blot]  Not due to the Spriggans, but what may potentially be here for their presence. And that I may not be prepared.
- Â - Â If their stones/gems have Aetherical potency, and are obtained from within the ruins themselves, there may be some Aetherical inbalance that took place here, and something I should be equipped for prior to proceeding.
- Â - Â Which would be quite exciting~
-  -  I will attempt to obtain a few of these stones from the Spriggans' grasp to study and bring with me. If Aetherically potent, they may be of use or interest, and I can return with them.Â
-  -  Their study may also give insight as to the state of what’s within the ruins, the area itself, or what may have taken place. Or not. But perhaps.  Regardless, then I will explore~
- -  I will remain here for a time and study the Spriggans’ behavior, see if they reveal anything more by their movements or mannerisms. (Sometimes they seem to find rather interesting little hideaways or caverns…)
- -  Obtain some of the creatures’ stones for further analysis.
- - Â Vague check of potential Aether abnormality. (Stones and area)
- - Â Investigate the surface ruins, search for more entrances, something missed beyond cursory glance, symbols or writing in the stone, and so forth.
- -  Note: It’s quite possible that there will be nothing, but never will it be known unless sought for~
- - Â Mark maps for investigation.
-   -  …Most importantly, prepare to delve deeper soon. Get more food. <- Don’t forget this, you keep forgetting this.
