Diary of Topaz Claws

Shortly after the Tinjourin revolution Vesper Ashenheart was given a diary by Venari Rix which was written by Topaz Claws (Paz), a tabaxi woman who was the chosen pilgrim of Ilmater during the Malkash invasion. The diary follows her journey from leaving home for the first time up until her final battle and her death. Along the way she formed a small group of adventurers, most of whom fell during the final battle.
She ventured from the deserts of Tinjourin to the swamps of Mocvara and eventually to the mountains of Dolvallis. The party was formed of a gnome artificer, a firbolg druid, a dark elf monk, a tiefling paladin and Paz as the cleric who kept them all together.
This group managed to single themselves out during the invasion and when the final battle came they managed to get aboard Malkash's floating citadel. It was aboard this citadel that Paz lost her life, the last few pages of her diary being filled in by Niffly Coldstare the gnome.
What few details there are for the death of Paz are extremely brutal. Niffly survived thanks to the kindness of their firbolg friend but the group was on the citadel when it broke apart. Niffy made a point to focus on their tiefling friend Thorai Xarmon the paladin who was from Luminaris and followed the Goddess of Light.
The diary mentions that Thorai Xarmon discovered an artefact within Malkash's citadel however the party had been separated and when they found each other Thorai had the artefact. All he had time to say was that it was that it had a link to how Malkash gained so much power. Shortly after the citadel fell and Thorai's body was discovered by Niffly but lost within the mountain.
Niffly mentions that he visited each of his friends homes. Thorai had a wife, Belxis Xarmon and a son Leucian Xarmon. When his son came of age he went out to search for his father. He might have found answers. He might have descendants that can shed some light on what happened.

Purpose

A lot of pilgrims of Ilmater keep a diary once they begin their pilgramige intended to act as a guide for the next pilgrim however Topaz was unique in the lineup of chosen pilgrims of Ilmater. Her diary keeps a more light hearted tone, it appears that she never considered that this would be passed down from pilgrim to pilgrim as an important historical document. Currently this diary is in the posession of Vesper Ashenheart who has scanned it into the artefact currently known as the Vescube aka Fred.

Read the Document

Diary of Topaz Claws

Day 1: I am the chosen pilgrim of Ilmater. I'm trying not to grin so much as I write this but I can't help it I'm so excited. I have been chosen to do great things in the name of the God of Endurance. I had a quick word with the big guy and I have to say he is not as intimidating as I thought he would be. He wants me to head north, towards Mocvara. Sure, the swamps and jungles sound really pretty and according to mom I've got an aunt up there that I get to meet. My auntie Emerald Claws, I can't wait. There have been these attacks, dead rising up and all that. Sounds like the perfect thing to throw a cleric of Ilmater at. Anyway I leave tomorrow so I guess I should pack.
Day 8: Its been a week and I'm still travelling through the desert. I really didn't think I'd miss my mom this much. I've got enough rations to make it to Lornath and then some but this heat is killing me. Its one thing to deal with it in the city with a river running through it but walking through the desert is a whole other kettle of fish. I've been talking to the big guy every night. I think he's lonely. He said he's scared for Luminaris and Solara. They are friends so I guess that makes sense not that their people like each other all that much. Sending me to Lornath first doesn't make much sense to me but hey I ain't a god so what do I know. Soon I will be surrounded by green trees and running water. I'm gonna love Mocvara.
Day 17: I fucking hate it here. Its damp and hot. I am covered in swamp water and flies and still its so hot seriously what kind of savages live in a place like this. I had a run in with some Kobolds who wanted to offer me to some big scary black dragon but I managed to fight them off with the help of this guy I met, Sym Junglehome a really nice Firbolg druid. We're travelling to Lornath together. He was telling me that things are bad in Mocvara. A name came up in conversation, Malkash. Some big deal necromancer who has been hitting the other kingdoms hard. I was told by the higher ups not to do too much in the favour of the other kingdoms but it doesn't feel right to do nothing even if we are enemies.
Day 19: We were attacked again, the same Kobolds we killed a few days ago. According to Sym the lands are becoming corrupted. Anything slain here will rise again. Lornath is only a few days away now.
Day 43: Lornath has been evacuated, well somewhat. A bunch of people were thrown out, not enough resources to go around. I've been helping who I can but these people don't really know where to go. They won't survive the desert and Luminaris is being bombarded. Selotrava it is.
Day 52: We were attacked on the road. Me, Sym and two others managed to defeat the undead that attacked us. Niffly Coldstare, a gnome with a weapon I don't really understand and Orell'th Liakirthol a drow elf monk have decided to stick with me and Sym. I told them I'm the chosen pilgrim of Ilmater and that I was led to Lornath to help. That's when Niffly confided in me. He has seen the citadel, he thinks he can get inside. I've been told that thing first showed up six years ago.
Day 171: We arrived in Dagger's Rest today. The guards weren't all too friendly and the cavalry unit was really scary. We've been able to barter safe passage and we need to go to the other towns to disperse people somewhere safe away from the water.
Day 346: We've been to every settlement in Selotrava and finally we have arrived at its capital. They city is under constant attack from the sea. With the caravan finally completed we needed to figure out our next move. Orell'th and Niffly want to mount an offensive against Malkash. I'm not sure its doable but they seem confident we can get inside. I asked Ilmater what he thought and he responded "While choice remains pursue what you believe is right." I think he's scared.
Day 582: We went to Luminaris, well we went to the mines nearby Luminaris to get some precious gem that Niffy needs for this contraption of his. When there a paladin showed up, full Solarian gear, saying that he had been guided to us by Solara. Well Thorai Xarmon is now part of the group I guess. He's a good guy, just has poor choice in Gods.
Day 1076: Another dead end. We have spoken to all the kingdoms leaders, if we can find a way onto the citadel we can mount a combined offensive and we are so close but this device that Niffly wants to build we just can't get it to work.
Day 1230: Me and Thorai had a vision. We are to go to the forest nearby Durvograd and journey into the Feywild. The courts have been destroyed and what remains have made a deal with Solara. Rumour has it, Malkash has his own dragon now so we can't be picky about our allies.
Day 1330: We're almost ready, they fey gave Niffly this gizmo should be the last piece of the puzzle. I'm not gonna pretend like I understand but the plan is to teleport onto the citadel and work our way to the bottom. If we can stop the damn thing from flying then we level the playing field. Now just to build this thing.
Day 1387: We're ready. This thing that Niffly built it'll get us onto the ship but it'll kill us in the process. The hope is the citadel will think we are spare parts to be turned undead. I have to wear this pendent that should revive me and then I have to save the others.
Day 1460: The day has arrived. Dragons have been seen in the skies and Ilmater told me to work with them. Its do or die I suppose.
Day 1500: I don't really know how to start this. I believe a hello is in order. My name is Niffly and this is the diary of a very dear friend who lost her life aboard the citadel. She was very brave. We fought our way to the lowest level of the citadel, the screaming engine. Orell'th had already fallen at this stage, killed by a mechanical monstrosity. A large guardian blocked the entrance into the engine, as we fought Thorai managed to get inside. The guardian tried to get to him but Topaz stood in the way. This thing crushed her in a single blow, shortly after the citadel began to shake and we began free fall. The five chunks fell apart and scattered across the four kingdoms. Sym protected me, he is the only reason I survived the crash but my friend was not so lucky.
Our plan was to enter the citadel in a dead or rather dying state and Topaz would revive us after a Pendent of Endurance revived her. For those who wish to know the gruesome fate of Topaz, her body was crushed, her bones broken and her spirit in tact. As the citadel collapsed around her she was most certainly alive. As for Thorai I found his body in the mountains of Luminaris. He had with him a strange cube, something he seemed to pick up from the citadel. My friend died trying to hide it in the mountains so I completed his work. I see now why they are called the Pillars of Light as the cave walls moved around me and sealed the entrance once I left. Perhaps to someday be reopened once again although I hope not. For now I will trust Solara's wisdom and her mountain domain.
I will visit each of my friends homes and offer them what comfort I can. First is Thorai, his wife and son live within Luminaris.

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Type

Journal, Personal

Medium

Paper

Authors

• Topaz Claws