5th Respitesday of High Spring, Second Age 1853: It has been a long month, but not eventful enough to write each day, I may end up writing at the end of each month if this routine keeps up, though I highly doubt it. Selestiel and Grikz were sent inland to scout as much territory as they could, and they returned with a wide variety of news. Apparently we are surrounded by wellsprings of energies, hordes of undead, and something alive moving through the land. Intelligent enough to use boats and mount some kind of lizard creatures. The undead were dispatched easily enough by a contingent Lady Aria sent out. It's good to know we won't have to personally handle every problem that shows up. I led a team in the opposite direction, and scouted the shoreline of this new kingdom. We didn't get as much territory scouted out, but we also didn't spend the whole month on it.
The New Year's celebration passed rather uneventful, considering fae of the spring court decided to pay us a visit, though Zhyrissa's company made it definitely an enjoyable time. They didn't stick around for long, but shortly after they left, a crew working on the temple discovered a stairwell leading below. What is curious is that they didn't uncover it. They claimed one day it was bare rock, and the next an opening into the hill appeared in the same place. We will be venturing into its depths tomorrow, having mysterious tunnels open in our back yard is a rather dangerous prospect to leave uninvestigated.
I was also able to convert my hand crossbow into a gauntlet bow. Removing the trigger mechanism and reconfiguring it to work with a toggle tied to my finger proved to be simple enough. I wish I could say the same about my attempt to resupply Elixirs of Life though. The materials we brought with us were damaged in transit, and the conditions of the lab are still rather makeshift. I will need to reassess and change my approach.
Oh, and the first homes are finally getting finishing touches, we finally have solid roofs over our heads, though as soon as you step outside you can immediately see the enormity of the task ahead of us with ruins in all directions.