Journal In Nordath

This lone page, seemingly torn from a standard scholar's journal, bears the following text in graceful handwriting:

Evenday, 17th day of Converumir

Today I set out from Earendam with our company. In total, we are five scholars and ten warriors. Two of the scholars are my fellow Salyrans, we being the tower's most skilled adepts in the spells of curse removal. The other two scholars, of the Order of the Silver Light, travel with us as well, likewise skilled in the countering of curses. The complementary escort of guards, we have rather resented--as if this band has need of the patrician's protection! We appreciated the irony of the situation though--one of the spirit scholars, a human named Tov, noted rightly how it is the patrician who always seems to be in need of protection.

The patrician, I understand, has contacts with Chevellen, a nobly-born Salyran adept, and asked him to organize a party of cursebreakers. Why he chose not to approach the guildmasters, and rely on (highly capable) adepts, I can't say--I've no head for political manuevering. But we, of course, jumped at the chance to challenge this curse, even if the circumstances of our departure are less forthright than we would chose. Defeating such a curse would make a case for guildrank advancement, for certain!

We only know rumors of Nordath--that it lies in a deep forested valley with a single pass entrance, and that the valley is located in the North Forest, near its southern end, almost bordering the grasslands. Nordath was, as the history texts describe it, once the seat of an important Barony of the old Earendam republic. The curse supposedly involves old spirits and undead, and even demons.

We've heard that the curse has drawn mortals who enter the valley under its power, and that the bones of those who die rise again, joining the undead. I, of course, have been taking the standard measures of precaution- one can never be too careful when dealing with curses. And my dear Ladiira was so worried when she heard of the journey. But there has never been such a company as this, I told her, for challenging ill hexes--we could even lift the blight off of the Shargob, no doubt. In fact, I'd even suggest such a trip to Shargob to my companions, once we finish our work here, if it wouldn't keep me long from my Ladiira's side. -Awsar

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