When the group decided that they would be entering what was
called "The World Tree", they began asking others if they would
like some participation. There is some mention of some group in Travar that had been causing some trouble for the "Knights". This group was called something like "The masks". The group talked to many people in town to determine the origin of this group. One such man in Travar decided to send someone in his place, to investigate this "other world.

Gram notes in his Journal that a new member joined the group, and lists him: 

     Flint ?  - Archer Human
Also in the journal, the name of the windling elementalist has been scribled out. It is noted that Flint is not a member of the group pattern, just a member of the travelling party.

Gram had the 'clone' of the merchant stay at the temple in case another attempt was made on his life.
The other clone of Angaren would come with the group.
The group gathered supplies from the temple stores and went up the "World Tree"...
The light at the top of the "World Tree" was blinding, and the group made their way slowly to the top. It seems that the world tree was growing into the "other world" and up the side of a cliff.

At the top of the cliff, there was a tempest of swirling air. it formed a giant eye in the center of the storm. Gram extrapolates upon this:

     I looked into the tempest and found something looking back 
    at me.  My life force seemed to wrench from by body at that
     point, and I convulsed.  I dropped to the ground.  I was  
     magically drained, and I felt my defences falter,  the usual 
    pleasant glow that surrounded me felt like a vise squeezing

    my very being.
The group climbed all the way to a ledge on the cliff, and made thier way around the cliff on a trail.
There is some mention of trying to get water from a stream, and being attacked by a large fish. Although the fish was soon killed by Cyrix, the water was found to be spoiled and undrinkable.
The group finds some people hunting out on the plains, and begins asking them some questions. According to the Journal, the people are called the "Showda". Winton quickly begins studying their language and becomes the groups interpreter. Gram notes that he is unsure of the spelling. The newly found people take the group to thier village.
After some time, the group finds a young windling female who was sent to this world by a very powerful Nethermancer. Gram adds this to the groups list, as she decides to go with them: 
    Jasmine - Windling thief
The group spend a few days with the "Showda", and learn of the bone forest, and the temple of the "Screaming God" which lies within. It is noted that none of the group members can enter the bone forest and live. It is also noted that the "God" has minions called "Witch Riders" who travel through the land gathering the people for slaves, and that they have some means by which they travel through the bone forest. The group is shown to some remains of one of the witch riders. This is that account: 
       The remains of one of the Witch Riders was exumed from the
    place where the body had died.  After what the people say was
    a ferocious fight, they had defeated him.  The body itself 
had    all but disappeared, but the wares of which the rider 
killed    were plainly visible.  All of the items were of the 
deepest    black, and stank of rancid power.  They are listed 
here....

         A Lance - Don't touch without gloves, Angaren got 
                   wounded from it.
         Special Gloves - to hold the lance.
         A Scepter with an orb on top - ?
         A bone mask.  Hmmmmm.
The journal continues with the group getting some more information from the "Showda". It seems that these people often trade with another group called something that was scribbled and unreadable. This other people had trackers and mounts that could take the group anywhere they wanted. It was suggested by one of the "Showda" eldersthat the group travel to a cave called "The Cave of Lost Secrets", and the group would find answers there. Gram may also be able to heal his affliction there.
More journal entries explain the mounts that are loaned to the group: 
    The group is given several mounts to use on the trek across  
   the plains.  These mounts are like nothing in Barsaive.  A   
  cross between a sturdy war horse and a T'Skrang.  These     
creatures see and hear better that all of the "Knights" put    
 together.  My mount is something that any obsidiman would be
    proud to own.  He is called "    ".  He is like two Thunder
     Beasts put together, yet he has a sort of intelligent look.
    I could walk along the back of this beast to the other end, 
    and travel on any part of his masive body.
It is found that the mounts have some sort of telepathic link with the guide that accompanies the group. At night, the mounts form a circle around the camp and all of the group sleeps, because these mounts can sense anything coming within long distance. The group continues making its way to "The Cave of Lost Secrets.".

During the 'Trek' to the Cave, the group happens upon a creature that resembles a flock of bats, or birds, Gram isn't sure. Yes the one creature resembles a flock. It is some type of spirit. Later, the group also finds a tree spirit. The group finally comes upon a small village after following a patrol. The group stops a sacrifice in progress, and finds out that the man who is to be sacrificed was possessed.

During the stay, the windling jasmine asks if she could join the group pattern, there is much discussion on the fact that the windling had not met Garlen, and the group was unsure of whether she should be allowed to join. Finally, the group decided to let her join the group pattern. Flint, however, after seeing the group torn between letting him join or not, decides he will wait to join with the group pattern until the feelings of the group are unanimous.
Gram notes, that he feels a certain respect for Flint, and his honorable denomer.

On the way to the cave in the morning, the group happens upon some monolithic stones. The stones seem to have some sort of attracting power over some of the group's members. they turn out to be some sort of creature, that feeds upon unsuspecting travelers. The group kills one of these creatures (or so Gram thinks), and the others stop trying to get the group. The cave itself is a giant face with the entrance as the mouth. The group gets in by announcing themselves, and makes their way down to the rooms where they will stay the night. Yes, the group seems to have been travelling a long time, Gram cannot explain. The group sleeps through the night, but it is a restless sleep.

In the morning, the group finds another person waiting to talk with the occupants of the Cave. This person seems to have some animosity towards the occupants of the Cave, and wants to get out, with our help. The group decides to go ahead and try to see the occupants.

The group makes its way down a corridor and finds a garden. They are greeted by a fom in a black cloak who takes all who wish to "Look into The EYE" and ask it questions. Gram is taken with an Obsidiman who lives in the Cave to 'meld' with this Obsidiman's life rock. The Obsidiman says that the affliction that Gram has will be reversed if Gram melds with this other Liferock. Gram spends much of the journal explaining this occurance. Here is a small portion: 

    I could feel the liferock's presence from down the corridor,
and although I had felt liferock before, this was not at all
pleasing.  My uneasiness was tripled when I walked into the
cavern where the liferock lay.  It was cold in the cavern, and
the liferock gave off no warmth.  It was discussed, but all
the Obsidiman could say was that his liferock had all but died,
and not much was left of it, but he would meld into the liferock
with me to help the liferock mend my ailment.  I agreed,
unable to fathom that any liferock could pose as a threat.
As I began my meld with the liferock, I could feel the presence
of something else in the liferock with me and the other 
obsidiman.  It gave off some warmth, and it pulled me through
the wall of the rock.  All I could do was scream inside.
I was being pulled down toward the bottom of the liferock, which
had turned out to be some sort of creature.  There was a large 
gaping maw at the bottom of the liferock, and tenticles were
pulling at my feet pulling me further down into it's mouth.
The other obsidiman, I could also see, his form just to the side
of the mouth.  A blank look on his face, showing me the way to 
utter death.  I struggled with the tentacles, and pulled at my 
will, trying to emerge from the side of the mound.  When I knew that my struggling would be no help, I made a decision.
I plunged my spirit toward the gaping maw.  At the last
moment, I turned slightly, and entered the form of the other
Obsidiman that I could see standing there.  The beast screamed,
and stopped it's pulling.  
  As I looked up toward the way I came, I could see an image
of Odan standing on a ledge.  Information was being passed on
to him through the beast.  The beast was giving him answers 
through it's EYE.  "The EYE".  Odan asked more questions,
and I willed the beast to answer him.  I could feel however the 
beast growing stronger trying to overpower my will with his,
and trying to force Odan to plung himself into the maw, over
the ledge.  I began to race toward the top of the mound, 
willing myself through the stone, and back to reality.  At
the same time, I willed the beast to reach out it's tentacles
and push Odan back from the side of the cliff.  Then, I was
free...
Gram continues with the story and explains a little about what the experience did to him.

#1 - Gram's body form has changed to that of the Obsidiman
who invited him into the rock.
#2 - Gram has an increased sence of perception when it comes
to various matters involving this world, and some other horror
knowledge.
#3 - Gram has increased in size and strength.
#4 - Gram's affliction has left him-he thinks...and
he is aware of some changes in his ability to
protect himself against magic.

The group desides that it would be best to leave as soon
as possible. The other person who is also trapped in the caves halps the group out of te caves, although Gram seems to think that he could have led the group out himself, with his new found knowledge.
The group excapes from the cave and leaves the area through a more northern route.

The group comes over a hill, and sees the 'Bone forest'. There is also a bone road that comes from the east and enters the forest.

Once on the road, angaren uses the bone mask that the group got from the remains of the witch rider and threads to it. The key knowleges were attained by Odan and his medallion. The research knowleges were attained by quesitoning the 'Showda'.

Once Angaren had threaded to the mask, he could feel the road alot better, and he could sense that far away were witch riders moving on the road, coming toward the group. The group decided to make a stand and ambush the witch riders.
The witch riders were quickly killed, and it was found that the 'friend' that the group had gained in the cave was an illusionist.
The group gathered up the masks that were left from the slain witch riders and all who could threaded to them. Once that was done, the group felt that it could enter the 'bone forest' without the effects of the chilling death that was supposed to be lying there.
According to Gram, the effects of the 'Bone Forest' could still be felt, although at a diminished level.

The group then travels through the forest, and into the domain
of what the 'Showda' call 'The screaming god'.

Read more in the next journal entry!!!

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