A whip of freezing air grazes your face, the sky a dull grey. The sun, a haze behind the blanket of clouds, glares down upon the bare trees. It is the first of January. Snow had covered the black branches just a week ago, but it has all melted now. The ground is dry, covered with brown grass and the remains of crushed leaves. This carpet of decay leads from where you stand to an opening in the treeline. A path, perhaps taken by deer or smaller animals, beckons you closer and you accept the invitation.
You come across a clearing, a ring of white mushrooms surrounding the edges, trees providing a reinforced wall behind them. The clouds have parted, letting the sun beam down, warming your cold body just a bit. There, at the center, the earth rises just a bit, an angular shape jutting out. You move to inspect it, the old wood stained and dirty, metal clasps holding the box closed. A symbol is burned into the top of it, with three triangles in the center. You move to open the box.
Opening the box reveals little remarkable, at first glance. There are several old, stained pages, a small packet bound with twine and bearing the same symbol as the box, a collection of torn notes, and a book titled “Explicandem est Creaturae.” You collect the contents, the old paper grating against your skin.
Arriving back to your bedroom, you decide to search for “Explicandem est Creaturae” online. A website appears, called AlchemicalTexts, with a collection of links including “Explicandem est Creaturae.” At the bottom, there is a link that says “Contact Us.” Once you finish looking at the website, you decide to click the link to contact the owner.
Within the week, you receive a response.
“Hello! I’m glad that the website has been helpful. I’d like to meet with you in person. I can definitely help you get to Alium, if you’re interested. For now, though, I am curious about those things you found in the box. Would you mind sending me pictures of those? I’m particularly interested in the loose pages you said you found.
Thank you,
T.M. of EtSA”
Choose One:
Send her all the information you have.
