Books and Diaries lists all the relevant cortex entries of the Miscellaneous sub section found in the Library main section of the Cortex.
Collection Details
A total of 24 cortex entries make reference to Books and Diaries (Library).As the name suggests, these excerpts are from various parts of different books or diaries written by the people.
Ha Ha! Danger!
See Cortex Entry: Ha Ha! Danger! for More Details
I didn't really consider how hard it would be to write a book in the middle of the jungle. The humidity is curling all my pages, and swatting away mosquitoes interrupts every other sentence. But here goes... I'm writing what I know (with some embellishments of course).
"Keeble Carnswile ran out of breath trying to climb the stupid sheer rock wall that took him all day to reach, only to discover it went even higher into the clouds. It was getting dark, and he was scared s***less."
Wait, scratch that.
"Cutter Drayden bounded across the ridge, cresting a hill where he espied a waterfall in the gloom. Dusk had settled across the jungle, but he had nothing to fear in the night—the night feared him.”
Hell, yes. And to think that guy in Fort Tarsis who sells cheap baskets told me I was a hack writer.
I'm on the Floor with Hilarity and Laughing at Danger!
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They say you have to write all the time, no matter what:
"Cutter Drayden was stranded on a plateau. He waved at some Freelancers who flew by in their stupid javelins, but they ignored him. Just like they always did. Once, when he tried to become a Freelancer, they said he was too angry and would get someone hurt."
Hmm. This is better:
"Cutter Drayden was a lone wolven who lived on the edge. His inner demons were the fuel that compelled him to greatness. Triumphant, he stood atop a rugged plateau where even Freelancers feared to tread. But not Drayden. He ignored the pain that came with victory. Embraced the solitude that cursed all great men ahead of their time. He reveled in it."
REVELED. Wait until everyone back in Fort Tarsis sees how rich and famous this book makes me.
I'm Still Laughing at Danger!
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Hmm. Trying to write this novel is an ordeal. The humidity is so bad, my ink runs. Anyway, here's more write-what-you-know:
"Cutter Drayden was starving. He thought hunting would be easy, but anything worth eating tried to eat you first. So now he was digging for grubs, but some of them made his lips numb when he chewed on them."
Revised:
"Cutter Drayden was a survivor. He lived off the land. Master of the wilds, he knew the jungle provided for those with senses keen enough to unravel its secrets. What others dismissed as just a mere insect, Drayden knew was a storehouse of vital life-sustaining energy and protein. Others could starve—Drayden would soar."
Hell, yes. SOAR. I'm never going back to my job selling pottery in Fort Tarsis.
I Laugh at Danger, but...
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Last chapter of my book:
"Cutter Drayden was exhausted. At best, he only had a day before he died of a nasty rash. His old life selling trinkets in Fort Tarsis didn't seem so bad now. His book hadn't really worked out, and it was best just to bury it where no one would find it. If he hurried, he could be home before the loud scary things ate him."
That won't work; this is better:
"Cutter Drayden had stared into the maw—the worst the world could throw at him—and the world had blinked. He had nothing left to prove. His courage was stronger than steel. Having conquered the wilds of Bastion, he could now retire in Antium and live the life of the idle rich. Legions of fawning admirers would ensure the legend of Cutter Drayden eclipsed even that of General Tarsis."
Well, back to selling trinkets.
The Study of Urgoth
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Without urgoth to test and observe, it's unclear why their race couldn't use ember to access the gateway. Humans can cross the gateway to tap the Anthem of Creation's power, but there is only speculation about why the urgoth could not. We know they mastered surviving this world in a way we never could, using their physical might and seeming imperviousness to natural dangers. They were mighty, unbending, and unyielding, which some have used to both describe their strength and their inability to use ember. With no urgoth to study, it is likely these questions will remain unanswered.
— Arcanist diary
The Great Wheel
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Over rock and earth and the high cliff side
Through the green where the korox ride
We ebb and flow on this course of life
We cannot stop. We can only change
The paths on which we reel.
We go on and on and up
In the Great Wheel
The Call of the Anthem
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Our strider is down and we're waiting for help from Freemark. Technical difficulty. It has been a long journey, mainly because Harvold won't stop blathering about the Anthem of Creation. He somehow believes it's his job to educate me on the Anthem, the Shapers, the Great Wheel and all that. It's such gazick crap. Until I see—or hear—proof that the Anthem exists, I'm not joining any choir. I swear, if Harvold brings it up again, I will strangle him.
— Diary. Author unknown.
Tesilars—A Field Journal
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Day 35
There's a strange clanging coming from Hammertop today and the tesilars are nervous. The younglings have not left their thicket all day, and the large one with whom I've developed a rapport has started pacing back and forth, emitting electrical charges at everything that comes through the pass. My Freelancers are also on guard, but I have every faith that—
Sweetgreens
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One of the most delicious greens you can cultivate, sweetgreens are also one of the fastest growing plants. They do best in highly chimeric soil and highly phosphotius water. In short, they do well downstream from cities, as opposed to upstream.
In a shallow trench, place seeds two footsteps apart. Cover with dirt half a finger deep. If not on the side of a lake, pond, or river, water twice daily. Harvest before flowering.
— From Joy of Botany by Tansy Hull
Sunken Garden—Field Journal
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Exploring the Garden today was most enjoyable. The geometry and shapes of the ruin, the smoothness of the straight but curved structures; it fills me with a kind of peace. Around noon, I discovered a strange object that I am calling "The Spine." This segmented, interlocking structure, bigger than my arm, is certainly not a Shaper object, nor like any of the common flora and fauna we know here. I think it's a bone, and have submitted it to my master to be recorded. Who knows—maybe I'll win an award for my discovery!
Scars and the Wedged Key
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The wedged key is no different than other keys in the area, so why is it so revered? The Scars have tried to dislodge it several times. Why? Scars constantly attempt to get their feelers on Shaper relics, but it remains a mystery why this one is of such interest when there are five others nearby. I am submitting my request for a cross-reference with Hanni Blythe, writer of History of Scars.
— Delana Vale
Ancient Anzu Arcanist.
Picturesque Antium
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Any quest south of the mountains must include a trip to Antium. One of the first free human cities, Antium is a hub of trade; there are merchants and vendors of almost every kind, selling goods from Fortuo to the Mirelands. Make sure to stay in—or just off of—"Old Town," where you can enjoy Vassa-era architecture, as well as the famous Moon Clock, then take the bridge over to New Town to visit their Hall of Heroes. Antium is home to Bastion's royal family, who have recently made their palace garden open to the public and, let me tell you, being able to sit and enjoy nature without the fear of being mauled to death is a genuine luxury, not to be missed.
— From the Quest Advisor pamphlet
Physician's Diary
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I'm at my rope's end here. Without supplies from Antium, lancers are dying left and right, and there is nothing I can do to help. I know it's not my fault; I can tell myself that, but it doesn't mean the weight isn't crushing. There is only so much Snap I can pour on wounds to stave off infection. If things don't change soon, there won't be anyone left to defend the fort...
Outlaw Ranting
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They put me on the other side of the wall, those fools, they think that will stop me. The Shapers whisper in my ear, the Shapers told me to do it, and I will ascend like a wolven. They are sending wolven to help me sing the song, sing, I am singing, I am singing. They think they know, but they don't. They call me Outlaw. I will survive. I will feast. I am a wild animal and am finally free. I am master of the wild. I am the chosen of the Shapers.
I am in the Deepest Trouble… (3)
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Ah! She made it! Maris made it to Velathra! She sent Freelancers, and they have returned to remove me from my present predicament. They have brought food and a javelin I can use. I have no proper signet, but at least I will be able to breathe... apparently the water is long and deep.
But I cannot bring any of my belongings. And so I must leave you here, dear diary. I do not know why I should feel sad to leave such a ratty old book, but you have been my only friend in this horrible situation.
Goodbye book. Goodbye.
I am in the Deepest Trouble… (2)
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A few hours have passed, though I cannot be sure how many, without the sun and moon as my measure. The deadly night vine that was swallowed with us (and nearly killed Maris) is proving to be a surprising comfort... my only light.
The water keeps rising and I have scrambled up to the highest point, closer to the Shaper Ruin, yet I worry that Maris will not be able to find me. I hope she is safe. There have not been any tremors, but what if she was crushed by falling rock? Velathra is not far, but there are so many dangers in this unfinished world... wolven or ursix... Maris is too young to meet her fate. Indeed... though she is a student, I realize I have come to regard her as my own child. The mentors always warn of such affection, that attachment to students will only lead to heartbreak. But what is life without caring? I do not regret my attachment, mentors be damned.
I am in the Deepest Trouble… (1)
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Maris and I were investigating a Shaper ruin, when the earth opened up and swallowed everything in the area. Suddenly we were underground, and the Cataclysm was threatening to suffocate us with dirt and rocks. I am no Freelancer, and my modest javelin is not equipt to carry echoes... but I had to silence it, lest it kill us both. I succeeded, but my javelin suffered irreparable damage. Then the water started pouring in. Maris, her suit intact, found an exit, but I could not follow, for the water had grown too deep. She has left me here while she goes to Velathra for help. I can only pray that she returns before the water swallows me up. HURRY MARIS!
Grandpa Races Javelins
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Her family had a vast collection of javelins, most notably one of the first Rangers. Her grandfather had been a lancer in his spare time, buying whatever he could with his trading fortune, but never promising his time to any faction or cause. Indeed, racing other lancers down the main passage late at night was the only calling he cared to answer.
— From A Strider In The Everweald by Darion Seer
Freemark: Living Up to Its Name...
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One of the oldest cities in Bastion, second only to Antium in population. Be sure to see the legendary sculpture "The Colossus of Tarsis," observe some of the early Legion architecture, and visit the colorful marketplace and Freelancer wall. Freemark is also known for its thriving culinary scene. When on the north side, take an hour to have some spiced tea at the Blue Wyvern, or roast korox at Tempo's grill. Then prepare to dance the night away at "The Happy Anzu."
— From the Quest Advisor pamphlet
Engineers and Arden Vassa
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Arcanists certainly like to claim Arden Vassa as their own. While he may have started as an Arcanist, it was clearly an Engineer's blood in his veins. An intricate knowledge of machinery and architecture were required to build the first javelin, design the Fortress of Dawn, and support the Legion throughout their battles. Obviously, Arcanists are not the only faction that can be curious and inventive.
— From Heliost Monthly
Discovering Escari
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I expected those Scars. Who doesn't, nowadays? I wasn't expecting them to be organized. It was an ambush... they were climbing all over our strider. On the ridge, just ahead of us, was this different kind of bug. Watching, shouting orders... Escari, I think. I don't know how many.
— Transcript. Sentinel Records.
Chimera Warning
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An Uneventful Trip
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An uneventful trip so far, but it's been wonderful to see places I've only ever heard of in tales. We're coming up to some ruins that were either part of the Arcanist academy or a Sentinel outpost of some kind. So many ruins in this area. I can just imagine the Freelancers Three zooming around here, fighting chimera. Oh, we've stopped. I wonder why?
A Very Old Diary
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This is indeed similar to the other monument. The metals react to chimeric compound in the exact manner, but the nearby drill does not react at all. I would classify the monument as a rare metal and will try to gather shavings to take back to Dunar for study. I cannot wait to return. The wyvern have been too keen, and my lancers cannot take much more.