1st of Spring, Year 257
I had planned on leaving this be. Not many pages left, but it seemed worth writing in it one more time future plans taken into consideration.
Things have changed a fair deal since I last used this journal. Caskfire has grown more than I would have ever expected during our first Spring. We finished digging on the fourth level just last week. I think they expect to strike magma in another level or so, so effort is being put in to prepare for construction on magma forges and an expansion of ore production.
Thanks to Rikke’s bandits and the farmers from Dunhill, we have had plenty of food to make up for our surface farms having been destroyed. Both are fans of dwarven leather goods and metal work. Both seem to be warming up to each other, given that safer roads benefit everyone and farm folk are more than willing to toss a coin or bushel of whatever might be in season for those safer roads. Not, mind, that the necromancers are all too happy about the recent harmony. They no longer have a source of Goblin corpses with the Eater of the Dead gone. And since we officially never found out that they are, in fact, necromancers there is little they can do to request a new source without revealing that they lied to us and losing the trade agreements they so desperately want to keep.
Caskfire has evolved from an expedition seeking more materials for the Mountain Home into a proper fortress.
Which makes it feel wrong to be leaving, even if I plan to return eventually. Chonck’s letter came at, I do not want to call it a good time, but at a time when my thoughts would have lead me away from Caskfire soon regardless.
With his, our, younger brother having been born Chonck seems to have figured that a dwarven tiefling will make a fine Eater of the Dead when he eventually dies. With that decided, he wants to write the tale of his grand adventure last Spring becoming the Eater of the Dead and slaying the demon Eebaku. More than that, he wants to ensure that it can be read by as many people as possible, so he is off on a quest to collect as many languages as he can so that he might write his story in as many languages as possible.
Eclair is, of course, coming along to prepare the many bodies he plans on eating to gain these languages. It seems that the elf had nothing better to do and, as for me, he figured that since Aunt Frense’ new baby is both of our brother that makes the two of us siblings as well.
I find that I do not want to argue the point.
Also, I already sent letters out to the Bards College to see if Azurei could be contacted. We might need as many voices of reason as we can lay hands on. It might also be nice to see everyone again.
The first leg to the Guga Dulum enclave should be much shorter than last time. I hear Aunt Frense visited enough that the road from the Mountain Home has been paved. Churt already approved leave for both Bearrender and I. Officially we are joining the party to seek out an artifact for the glory of Caskfire. Unofficially, I have a number of gifts for each of my companions and my room will be kept sealed until we return.