Barrakas, 1000 – Dravago, 1001 YK We made it back to Bloodcliff Bay and got a ride back to Zarash’ak. Our orc escorts had given us a fair amount of gold that they said should help us get back to Sharn. It was plenty, so I was surprised when the tickets Jhazaali got us were for an extended trip on a non-elemental ship. She made some comment about even Dhakaani needing the occasional break and so we had a very pleasant, if I do say so myself, journey back to Sharn. I did spend more than a year with Jhazaali…
Huh. Guess I Should Find Something to Do
Vult, 999 – Therendor, 1000 YK So, I’ve got a fancy degree and I’m in Sharn. I’m offered a lecturing position at MU but I’d like to do fieldwork. I also want to keep learning new things but am not sure what to do next. After concentrating so long on my thesis and then the lecture tour about the Volaar I’d kinda’ forgotten to plan much further into the future. Luckily, someone showed up to give me a new project.
A New Book and Another Degree
Nymm – Aryth, 999 YK My return to Sharn was nice. Kat had graduated and was gone but she had left a letter and a couple more had piled up since her leaving two months prior. It was unlikely she’d be returning to Khorvaire for a few decades (elves) and we had both discussed the fact that we would likely move on without one another for a long while. No surprise there but we are still friends and write when we can. Gwen was still at Shava House but was setting to leave for Valenar within the week. Sid and…
Some Brief Thoughts on the Volaar
I spent a little over a year with the Volaar and can attest to their incredible skill with stone, steel, and any number of rarer substances. The Volaar have been away from “our” world for many years but they have sages as intelligent as any I have found within Morgrave. They are fully devoted to their Empire and this goes beyond their families, their friends, and themselves as individuals. Within Kech Volaar, and the little bit I’d seen of Kech Shaarat (Bladebearers) this is unwavering and is true for each and every member. This differs from the general goblinoids of…
Volaar Draal, the Wordbearers, and the Sword
Olarune, 998 – Dravago, 999 YK Volaar Draal is a small city of under 10,000 inhabitants. It is carved into the Seawall Mountains and has been here for thousands of years. It is here that I finally meet Jhazaali’s clan, Kech Volaar, or the “Wordbearers.” Kech Volaar are the keepers of the lore of the ancient Dhakaani Empire, and though one of the smallest Kechs, its armorers and stonemasons are unmatched in all of Darguun, and possibly all of Khorvaire. This great skill has allowed their fortifications to hold against more aggressive clans. Again, the Dhakaani clans have isolated themselves…
Shava House, Speaking, and Studies
Barrakas – Sypheros, 994 YK The first week is a whirlwind tour of the Morgrave University (MU) campus with speaking engagements at some of the lecture halls there and even one evening’s “talk” at the Ten Torches Theater in the Torchlight district. This was fun, embarrassing, and a great introduction to one of my favorite places to go in Sharn on a weekend evening. It turns out that some theater students at MU put together a musical comedy based on some of the more story-like entries in our book, which apparently is closer to what my writing is like as…
To Sharn and Beyo… No, Just to Sharn
Lharvion, 994 YK The University is happy about Gwen’s decision and arranges for our transport on a Lyrandar galleon (a non-flying one this time) and has rooms prepped for us at Shava House. I briefly mentioned it before, but a little more info: Shava House has developed into more of an intentional community: the residents share meals heavily laden with academic discourse, and generally share an interest in the history of Xen’drik (Baker & Wyatt, Sharn: City of Towers, 2004). Two weeks and some sad goodbyes to friends and family later and we’re off to Sharn. Unlike on the airship,…
Professor Gwendolyn and I Write a Book
Aryth, 993 – Nymm, 994 YK Over the next few months Gwen and I work on getting our notes together and writing a few papers to be published and I actually get included as a coauthor due to my “creative and intellectual contribution to the work.” The first three were huge successes (Gwen is a much better writer than I am, but I do take extensive and detailed notes) and she’s asked repeatedly to return to Sharn to speak. She says no for now but it’s now on her future agenda. As we start on our fourth paper Gwen decides…