Kiran's Journal

Kiran's Journal (https://i.etsystatic.com/6304902/r/il/bb7de0/876829899/il_794xN.876829899_b9va.jpg)

A simple journal, bound in red leather and tied with black string. The craftsmanship is exquisite, and the journal well-cared-for. In the spine, in the space between the paper and leather, there is a narrow glass bottle of ink, and a metal fountain pen.


-Inside Cover-

"Kiran,

Congratulations on earning your third cog!

We know that you have almost everything you need for your workshop, but this journal is a gift just for you - somewhere to collect your thoughts, and record whatever amazing things are waiting for you in the future.

Find something you're passionate about and pursue it with everything you have. Surround yourself with people and things that inspire you. Be the best version of yourself that you can be.

Never forget that we're proud of you - and remember to visit home once in a while.

With all our love,

Mum & Dad"
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-Pg. 1: To Do List-

Kiran's To Do List is meticulously organised for the most part, his writing neat and cursive across paper that has been appended to extend the list more and more, until it unfolds down from the journal as you open it.

At the top of the page, it appears that he has latterly added three items that he hasn't yet ticked.

											[✔] RETURN HOME AND BEAT BACK THE VOID.
											[ ] REBUILD THE WORLD.
											[ ] FIGHT THE VOID UNTIL YOU CAN'T, OR IT'S DESTROYED.

✔ Unpack
✔ Sign chartership with VCC
✔ Sign contract with fuel supplier
✔ Build forge
✔ Make sign for workshop
✔ Invite family to opening (IRON YOUR SHIRT)
✔ Open workshop to public (IRON YOUR OTHER SHIRT)
✔ Finish orders from opening
✔ Send thank you note to Dada and Dadi for the coffee maker
✔ Arrange advertisement in newspaper (Ask Dad for advice)
✔ Buy flowers for Grandma's retirement party on Friday
✔ Figure out how to write Estierran war poetry for order #17 (Oh God)
B̶u̶y̶ ̶f̶a̶n̶c̶y̶ ̶b̶r̶a̶n̶d̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶D̶a̶d̶a̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶h̶e̶l̶p̶ ̶s̶e̶c̶u̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶i̶t̶a̶r̶y̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶r̶a̶c̶t̶
✔ Ask Dad for help finding fancy brandy for Dada.
✔ Buy fancy brandy for Dada for help with military contract
C̶e̶l̶e̶b̶r̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶2̶5̶ ̶o̶r̶d̶e̶r̶s̶!̶
✔ Visit the Church archives to find information on gold alloys for order #26
✔ Buy Mum and Dad a trip to Snowtown for Mum's birthday (Ask Grandma and Grandpa for help finding a travel agent)
✔ Close workshop for a few days to work on Firebrandt
✔ ... Start running drills with Firebrandt. You're out of practice.
✔ Buy a training dummy
✔ Visit Grandma and Grandpa
✔ Buy a training dummy
✔ Buy a fireproof training dummy
✔ Research prosthetics for order #31
✔ Research clockwork for order #31
✔ Purchase mithral for armour
✔ Buy party supplies
P̶l̶a̶n̶ ̶b̶i̶r̶t̶h̶d̶a̶y̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶y̶
✔ Research how to host a party
✔ Plan birthday party
✔ Invite family & Ms. Shay to birthday party
C̶e̶l̶e̶b̶r̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶2̶1̶s̶t̶ ̶b̶i̶r̶t̶h̶d̶a̶y̶!̶

Limbo
D̶e̶s̶t̶r̶o̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶u̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶V̶o̶i̶d̶
✔ Learn more about Spera and Neviltis
✔ Learn to fight better
Learn how to avoid Stunning Fist
✔ Spar with Mr. Sigvard
✔ Work with Azra to build them a body
✔ Spar with Azra
✔ Talk to Adalet again
✔ Work on birthday gifts for n̶e̶w̶ friends
✔ Be ready to deploy

UFF World
✔ Learn to shoot
✔ Remember to ask if anyone needs help
✔ Help Blake upgrade Fate's enchantment
✔ Learn more about Sieglinde/Fagia
✔ Start integrating divine runeweaving into enchantment
✔ Learn to drive
✔ Spar with Blake
✔ Make new pinkie finger
✔ Meet with Adalet
✔ Learn about Hellstone
✔ Research civil engineering and infrastructural development
✔ Make something for Raven to help her focus
✔ Make a tool to help maintain fitness in a small space
✔ Talk to Linda
✔ Learn about Fagian history
✔ Spar with Raven
✔ Talk to Lous and Linda about deities
Obtain an understanding of the structure of planes
Obtain an understanding of Heaven and the origin and/or the distribution of divine sparks.
✔ Speak with Thibault and Rodriguez about constructs and powered armour
✔ Learn Fagian
✔ Upgrade Firebrandt's enchantments

Limbo again
✔ Buy cake for tea with Linda
✔ Make a prosthetic leg for Linda
✔ Help Blake research the Kriendyh
✔ Mentor Sandra through crafting a prosthesis for Lous
✔ Have tea with Linda
✔ Be ready to go home

Home
✔ Upgrade Raven's amulet's enchantment
✔ Ask the dryads about cultivating crops
✔ Ask Libra for help with using opponents' weight against them
✔ Keep Reveno alive
✔ Learn about the history of the elemental Nexi
✔ Talk to Trianglespera about the nature of the multiverse
✔ Keep an eye on Reveno for Spera
✔ Make a portable oven
✔ Figure out whose vision I saw when I fell from Skyhome
✔ Build a snowman with Adalet
✔ Learn about the nature of Empyreal Lords
✔ Learn how to use elemental-powered greenhouses to encourage food production
✔ Talk to Raven about her development as a warrior
✔ Give Adalet the ledger from the Adventurers' Guild, in case it helps
✔ Repair the flying Kriendyh construct
✔ Talk to Libra about what Reveno remembered
Acquire celestial silver
✔ Restore GEM-03's weapons systems
✔ Befriend Allyah (and apologise to her for trying to let her burn to death)
✔ Learn about Kriendyh plans for restoration and rebuilding the world post-Taran-war
✔ Ask Lous where people go when they die
Find out how Reus armour works and if I can have some
✔ Send a message to Allyah
✔ Ask Adalet about communing directly with a god
Tell Allyah the Kriendyh children were taken by the outsiders
✔  Learn about celestial gold
✔ Thank Libra for resurrecting me
Acquire a copy of Sigvard's book on the Upper and Lower Planes
Visit Nerville to find information on the Elemental Planes
✔ Find out what colour my soul is
✔ Ask Arden about the history of... the entire world, apparently
✔ Earn the respect of Avalon
✔ Contact Essati with the help of Avalon
Alive or dead, return to Heaven
✔ Go to the moon
✔ Speak with Gemini about the future
✔

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-Pg. 2: Bazal-Holt Fine Craftworks-

This page of Kiran's journal is a design for a sign, clearly intended to hang outside of a workshop - wooden, carved, polished, and with edged and bevelled text in metal, with looping etched filigree across it: "Bazal-Holt Fine Craftworks - chartered three-cog workshop".
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-Pg. 3-6: Flowers in Filigree-

The next few pages of Kiran's journal depicts a series of instructional diagrams that describe the fine metalwork necessary to construct a number of different species of flowers in filigree. While the majority of the flowers are shown in exceptional quality, the flower at the bottom of the sixth page is, rather than a schematic, simply a detailed sketch of a metal tulip, half-open, clumsy, with dented and inexpertly-beaten metal making up the petals.
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-Pg.7-29: Orders and Contracts-

These pages are mixed; some depict orders for various articles of masterwork weapons, armour, and other crafted items, some of which are enchanted, and some of which aren't; others are simply notes on the day-to-day running of his workshop, including accountancy.
The majority of the orders are bladed or pointed weapons. One of the pages is missing, the hand-written numbers jumping unexpectedly from 23 to 25.
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-Pg. 30: Firebrandt-

The thirtieth page of the journal is an older sheet, inserted into the book, depicting a series of schematics for a rapier of adamantine and its forging - surrounded by clouds of neatly-written arcane runes. The page is so densely-filled with runes and notes that it is almost black.
Upon examination the runes, describe simple enchantments for strength and protection from wear and tear. Halfway through one cloud, there is a brief interruption to the flow of the script, replaced with a depiction of enchantment for protection from cold and frost. The third cloud spirals inward, depicting an enchantment that grants the sword a rudimentary form of awareness of its wielder, assisting them in navigating the storm of battle.

Clipped to the page are several sheets of tracing paper, onto which are drawn additions to the sword, and added complexities and interconnections between the enchantments in arcane runescript, eventually intermingled with divine runes on a second sheet, adding density until they become woven together into a single cohesive whole.

When studied, the complete enchantment appears to be a combination of short- and long-term planning, as well as sheer luck where some enchantments have been interrupted by new discoveries or accidents in the work. The enchantment describes the ability for the sword to draw energy and vitality from its wielder slowly over time, in incremental and almost unnoticeable amounts, which can then be released in bursts to permit the wielder the ability to move faster than they would be able to otherwise in battle.
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-Pg. 31-37: Further Orders and Contracts-

As pages 5 through 29. Orders 35 and onward are uncompleted.
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-Pg. 38: Broken-

Page 38 is the first page of the journal that features simple written text, not directed toward design or administration. The writing is shaky, and smudged in places.

"Everyone's dead. I don't know what's going to happen now. I don't know where I am. I miss-"

The next two pages are missing, their torn remains poking out of the spine.
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-Pg. 41: Hellstone Conductor-

In the middle of the page, Kiran has drawn a greatsword - inelegant, coated in stone. Strange markings glow along its length, with the lighting falling oddly across the crags and cracks in it.

"Hellstone. Reportedly an insulator of divine energy - could be used to direct/channel divine magical energy. More effective/efficient healing? Pinpoint-targeted positive energy application?"

Below his notes is a schematic for a bulb of polished and carved hellstone, with depiction of a wand being inserted into it. The schematic shows that, once activated, the magical energy produced by the wand would be conducted from the bulb down a millimetre-wide channel to be applied with precision to a target.

"May be worth investigating."
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-Pg. 42-45: Azra-

The next several pages detail the process of designing, assembling, and maintaining Azra's construct body. The bulk of the work focuses on the integration of Azra's mask's native Gypsy runes with Kiran's understanding of Valverian runeweaving, overlaying one with the other, along with the mapping of what could be equated to a runic nervous system across and within the construct body. Annotations reveal that the analogous nervous system would channel the magical energy from Azra's soul, released in specific channels from their mask.

A later addition to the schematics is as follows:
•"Research into the UFF's constructs indicates that only constructs powered by souls with analogous body plans have the necessary intuitive reaction speeds for battlefield functionality - animal souls for animal constructs. Azra's soul powering this body is the only reason that it worked at all. Interesting how it all connects."
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-Pg. 46-47: Gifts for my New Friends-

Pages 46 through 47 feature conceptual sketches followed by schematic outlines for a series of brooches, bracelets, and charms, each of which is designed for a specific member of the party.
A box of dark lacquered wood, containing oils, tools, and notes, all designed for maintaining Azra's construct form;
A pin featuring a set of scales in cold iron for Blake, with silver weighed on one side, and gold on the other;
A mithral pin badge featuring the holy symbol of Brolaire for Lous;
A thin chain bracelet of brushed steel for Raven, featuring a pair of fire-forged steel fists at the clasp;
And a bracelet of fine stainless steel rings, interspersed with 24 individually-forged bullets.
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-Pg. 48: Azra-

"Azra left today. They didn't even say good bye. I don't understand. Did I do something wrong?"
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-Pg. 49-50: Fate-

Pages 48 and 49 discuss, in detail, the process of working with Blake to improve the enchantment of Fate. The preliminary work and planning are standard, similar to Kiran's previous schematics. Dated immediately after the preliminary schematics, there is an abrupt change in the way the enchantments are woven together with added notes.
"Blake Kentahara Jr. assisted me during the preliminary phase of enchantment. In order to ease the runic integration, I walked Blake through Eisner's Empathic Primer, which he achieved with incredible ease - I don't think I've ever had a cleaner start. He has a talent for mental work, and the craftsmanship of Fate is clearly a labour of love."

"Augmenting Valverian arcane runeweaving was initially incompatible with foundational Fagian divine enchantment. Surprisingly, catastrophic failure in the augmentation of the foundational enchantment was averted by divine intervention intervention, latterly identified as Sieglinde."

"The divine intervention unbalanced the native enchantment, requiring a material component to help settle the runes into place. The most appropriate material was identified as blood from a divine bloodline, which was donated by Sigandra Hart, descended from St. Sieglinde. The proximity of such an appropriate source of divine blood was fortuitous, and marked the conclusion of the enchantment."

The final form of the enchantment seamlessly blends arcane and divine runes, before moving back into divine. Shortly above the cross-guard, on the blade, Kiran has painstakingly highlighted in pale blue chalk a cross-section of runes, which form the shape of a shield, intersected by a winged sword.

"I had never worked with Fagian runes before, being a culture that is not native to my own dimension. I also tended to favour arcane enchantment in the past, but I am gradually feeling more comfortable with divine enchantment. I think it may be possible to produce stronger enchantments by blending the two."

"I was impressed by Blake's mastery of his craft, and his dedication to his blades is admirable. I look forward to working with him more in the future.
"n.b. This was a fascinating project. I am going to make efforts to record more of my thoughts in future, rather than simply schematics."
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-Pg. 51: Different-

"It's so strange here. There's an entire history that never happened. People I don't know, places I've never heard of where they shouldn't be.
"I don't belong here. I don't know what I'm meant to do.
"Even the fighting is wrong. It's nothing like Miss Shay taught me. I've been so fucking SHELTERED. We're not even fighting the Void here, I-
"I killed people.
"I want to go home."
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-Pg. 52: Serenity-

"I have been learning about ki, with the support of Blake and Raven. They each seemed to have differing levels of understanding of what ki is and how it's used, which I found very confusing. In essence, my understanding is that it is an ability to use the natural energies of your body to manipulate it into functioning beyond your natural ability.
"Raven has mentioned, and demonstrated, a lack of ability to focus on anything for long periods of time which seems antithetical to the nature of ki. I recall researching an enchantment that used modified versions of the Calm Emotions and Owl's Wisdom spells to help its bearer reach a state of heightened focus, called a Serenity enchantment.
"I believe that this could help Raven with her struggles."

There follows a design for a necklace, mostly made from cords of treated leather, with seven knots placed at regular intervals along it. Woven throughout each of the leather knots and holding them taut together is a fine metalwork cage, each of which contains a secured, polished gem of kyanite.
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-Pg. 53: Ferocious-

Page 53 is written in a hand that is almost unrecognisable as Kiran's own. The usually neat and organised script is jagged and shaky. In one corner of the page, it looks as though someone has bled onto the paper, leaving behind a discoloured red smear.

"Adalet cut off my finger. He was so angry - so unlike himself. Frightening. I deserved it - I think. Did I deserve it?
"I never thought I'd be making myself a prosthesis, but I am glad I have had so much practice."

Slowly, painstakingly, Kiran has drawn out a design for a prosthetic little finger, measured to fit into the stump on his left hand, and secured on using a number of sturdy leather and metal straps that criss-cross his palm and meet around his wrist.
The finger itself is made of mithral, and inlaid with enchantments of divine origin, describing the power to shrug off things that would slow the wearer down.

"Just like they told me to."

Engraved into the panels of metal that give the finger its shape, and obscure the inner workings, are a series of minute pictograms: a family by the ocean; a family with a snowman next to them; a lone man standing on the bridge of a dirigible airship.
In the space of each joint is engraved a sentence, in Celestial: "TIBI OMNIA PERSEQUI".
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Page 54 is missing, having been neatly cut loose from the journal.
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-Pg. 55-56: Pre-Flight Checks-

At the top left of page 51, Kiran has carefully copied out a detailed schematic of a small fighter plane, with dorsal, ventral, and lateral perspectives shown. In minute writing all around the schematics are questions - "How does it stay up?"; "How does it steer?"; "What materials do they make the wings out of?"

Spread across both pages is a sketch of the otherwise quiet hangar from the Quiver, a pale sky visible through the windows. The perspective is focused on Sunbeam 1. Elbow-deep in the plane's inner workings is a woman with short-hair, wearing overalls.

"I have so many questions."
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Secured between pages 56 and 57 is a letter, written on fine yellow parchment in a looping, elegant hand. It is addressed to Kiran.
https://pastebin.com/K0yCx7Vg
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-Pg. 57: Answers-

The top of the page depicts a sketch of a simple necklace of dark string, supporting a thin metal prong setting in which rests a dark stone with glowing veins throughout it, which have been filled in with orange.

"Adalet sent this stone to me. Hellstone, like the stone around his sword. In some hindsight, I should have studied it more closely beforehand - but instead of those answers I prioritised other, more important answers.
"While I slept, the stone transported my consciousness home - and to the Snowlands, where Adalet was waiting for me. I could see the damage to the landscape, off in the distance. Huge areas consumed. Gone.
It was like the pit near my workshop, but so much larger. Miles and miles, simply vanished from the world."

"The stone was a part of Adalet - of himself. His body. It contained a tiny fragment of his soul, which is how he brought me to him. The level of understanding of dimensions, and soul magic that must have been involved in that small action is beyond me. I am reassessing my opinion of him. He is far wiser than I had realised."

"I asked him if the place was significant, and he told me it was. It is also where he is from. We share a dimension.
I had suspected, but it still came as revelatory; should I have heard of him? Known of some great deed of his? He seems incredibly capable both in battle and mind."

"He did not know where the meteor went. He didn't remember, beyond knowing somehow that it never existed in the first place."

"He asked me what I'm fighting for. He said that I cannot become more than I am if I've nothing to strive for, to focus on. It sounded familiar: an echo; a darker mirror of my mother telling me to-"

"I don't have a single big answer. So many small ones, though, to fight. There's a theme, which I told him. All of the progress people have made, the incredible works of incredible cultures across the multiverse, these things all stand the chance of being erased. These people and things have so much potential to learn, and grow, and they deserve the right to do that."

"I asked him the same."

"He told me he is seeking something to pass the future and the past to. That his sword, that great blade of hellstone, contains memories. Not his - those of others, and that he is their keeper."

"I spoke of my fears. That I keep making mistakes, and that I'm scrambling, desperate to learn from them before I get someone hurt. That I'm afraid to stop and think because every time I do, I remember-"

There is a small discoloured smudge on the page where the ink has run.

"I remember that they're gone. He told me to face my fears, and he is right. He told me to accept my past, and look to the future."

"I hope my answer is enough."

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-Pg. 58: Exercise-

Page 58 concerns the design of a single-unit home gym system that collapses into a portable and compact carrying case - featuring a range of weight discs that each slot into a larger ring and twist to lock into place, and an extensible bar that can be used as a free weight bar, or locked into a narrow gap to act as a bar.

A great deal of the page is occupied with calculations of load-bearing capacities of various materials, and which properties should be prioritised for longevity of the equipment.

"During my time on the Quiver, I have noticed that there are a great many soldiers who are competing for space in which to exercise. Given the close quarters and small living spaces, it seemed pertinent to design exercise equipment that would meet the needs of those soldiers despite the constraints involved."

"Following consultation with Thibault Stahl, I have filed for a patent on this design, and directed any profits toward the war effort and, following the war, to those whose families died during it."

"They will need the help the most."
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-Pg. : Moon Rocks-

"Moon rocks taste like moon rocks." - Sr. Damien the Brave, 891AB.