This handwritten book has no introduction, author, or even an indication as to what the content refers to. Although, it seems to be a sort of personal handbook or journal of sorts. Its scrawled text is simply presented as is:

Fairies: A mythical creature said to be able to fade in and out of worlds or realms of existence. Often spoken of in old fables and legends, which brought about the term fairytale. It seems some old stories may not have been complete works of fiction after all. Many swear up and down that they see Fairies when they are younger. But as one grows older and begins to understand more and more about the world, they stop believing in fairytales. Unless you yourself become a Fairy of course... Then all the logic that you once knew seems to go out the window. Those in adulthood who speak of Fairies as fact are often never seen again – for one reason or another.

Fairyhood: Something happens when one becomes a Fairy. It's an enigmatic feeling, impossible to explain, but the world around oneself changes and shifts. Nothing will be the same, and a code of being is set in stage. Fairies are chosen by the blessing of Dust. Although some will see it as a curse. A solemn duty calls.

CandleTrees: Appearing in symbolism within many cultures and legends across time. Revered by almost everyone as sacred, except for the Imps of course. The CandleTrees exude a waxy sap that is used to make candles and light people's lives all across the world. As such, many stories speak of these trees as having some sort of a spiritual influence.

CandleSpire Fossils: Thought to be an ancient ancestor of the CandleTree, it appears as if it is simply a giant candle. But if a giant candle ever was such a thing is hard to say, as any evidence of an organic wax has hardened to stone. And yet in some defiance of reality, some still lie ablaze.

The Star-Shift: A shifting land shaped by the stars. A sparsely populated area whose hardy denizens calculate the coming rain of stars, and burrow under the world when they hit. They settle just shy from the masses of craters, ensuring they don't lose their villages to a strike. What they do to increase their connection to the cosmos... A shifting land, built and rebuilt again and again by those who thought they could read the stars.

The Coalescent: Giant shell like features that jut from the lands all across the world. They are believed by many to be from Ancient spirits made of the world. More-so an enigmatic concept than a living being from what I have gathered. If ever they did exist, it is a wonder how their shells still litter the lands. In any case, they make for a very pretty sight, even for my poor eyes.

Giants: Massive primordial beings that wandered the lands ages before us. They are long since extinct, and an ancestor to many who still walk the lands to this day.

Trepanation: Initially conceptualized and practiced by creatures that came to be known as Imps, Trepanation is an ancient and perhaps harrowing rite which has a very rich history. Many, many things can be said about it. At its core, Trepanation is the act of boring holes into one's skull and filling it for a spiritual purpose. From here, two acts can be performed: Seedbed Rites, or the bastardization that is Grafting. Both invented, and still practiced by the Imps. Other cultures partake here and there as well, mostly in the more widely accepted Seedbed Rites. I suspect that some may even believe that it could bring them closer to the ever elusive ways of Fairyhood.

Seedbed Rites: The original form of Trepanation. Said to be done in reverence to the Giants. One bores a hole or two into the skull and plants a seed or spore; that Seedbed will then grow into a head ornament overtime if successful. Many believe this will bring them closer to nature and the world around them, increasing their vitality and fulfillment of life as a whole. As time has passed many still believe this, but some no longer do and instead continue the practice either out of some other form of custom, or for no reason other than appearance.

Grafting: A corruption of the rite of Trepanation, conceived by none other than the lowly Imps. Grafting requires one to kill another being, and to steal and use their head ornaments as a sort of "crown". It still requires one to bore a hole or holes into the skull. Then the ritual of implanting the victims 'sacrifice' into the skull begins. After the first Grafting, a curse was born. I've heard rumors of a sort of "Sainthood" in an Icy Kingdom revolving around this. There is nothing holy in desecration.

The First Grafting: An ancient act shrouded in mystery. The story goes that the Imps felled a withering Giant and enacted the first act of sinful Trepanation known as Grafting. This caused them to befall a curse within their blood that still resides within all Imps to this day, and perhaps forevermore.

The Imps: Beings reviled by all. Everyone, from the highest to the lowest on the rungs of society cast ill will towards the Imps. To this day, the Imps themselves are deserving of their title and their curse. They will stop at nothing to make others miserable, and see only themselves as anything of worth. That said, the Imps trace directly back to a primordial lineage – as ancient as or even more-so than the Demons. How else could they be accredited with the art of Trepanation? It is believed that the Imps weren't always a bad people, but something flipped in them, like a switch. Given how far back the Imp lineage goes, their history holds many a mystery and legend.

Thorn-Blood: The name for the curse that ails the Imp people. The Imps themselves say it feels as if their blood boils and runs hot, or as if they are constantly being pricked by tiny little thorns throughout their body. Hardly an excuse for their seething hatred, and assuredly a product of it. Well-deserved.

Demons: Some of the eldest of all the races. Said to be born of the Archons, a sort of Deified creature within Demon cultures. There are several off-shoots of Demon, but they all share a common ancestor and similar beliefs. An Ice Demon and a Fire Demon revere the same Gods.

Archons: The elements themselves, given life as beings Deified by the Demons. Even if only in faith.

Nascient: A term used by Fairies about outsiders. Not quite sure on its origin, but it essentially means something along the lines of "One who may yet see."

Angelbeasts: Not many have seen the Angelbeasts, except for when they crash down unto the lands from unfathomably high above. But by then they are shattered into a million pieces. Some say they are born from the sins of the Angels – an abomination of their doing, and others say they are an innocent and tragic being who simply forgot its way in the world. I have yet to see one for myself, and I know not of what an Angel even is.

Needle-Horns: An extinct race, presumably about as ancient as the Demons themselves. They were said to have a Monarchial bloodline in which they gave blessings of "Royal Blood" to certain members. But the meaning of this is lost to time, as is their Kingdom and the people themselves. Another relic of history, owing its destruction to the ghastly Imps.

The Aberrant: Dangerous cult. Avoid. Outcasts, and outcast for a reason. Some say they are misunderstood, but it's best to be on the safe side and leave them be.

Verdants: Beautiful plant-like creatures. They appear to have a culture rich with dance and flashy display. I do not know much else about them, but they seem a social and friendly bunch.

Erîbo: A conceptual term dealing with the afterlife. People have different ideas for what Erîbo means to them and their culture. The most widely used meaning entails a sense of acceptance of the inevitable; being at peace with death, and accepting it with grace when your time has come. Many wish to "become Erîbo" in death.

Voidspill: Deep, blackened dregs of forgotten death that bubble to the surface. The tar will swallow anyone who falls in. They say the realm of death and nothingness awaits on the other side of its oil slick sheen. Down into the deepest darkness one could ever know. And yet, there are some who would exalt the Void.
I for one fear it. I feel I must return back home and take a break for a while.

The Shardlands: When I returned home, home was gone. Replaced by rock. Yet, I could still see them. My people, peering back at me through those... those eyes. My home was gone and everyone was trapped within those abyssal eyes. Our land is falling to the very... marrow of the world. They are lost, I am losing them. I must stay here and tend to my ailing kin. For as long as they need me, and I need them.


*As Arume continues reading the journal she notices something peculiar -
"Huh, from here it seems the handwriting has changed, as if the book has been passed to a new owner. This looks like... Grandpa's handwriting now."
Filled with questions, she continues reading.*


The Hollows: Decaying forests filled with dangerous caves. Stories of "The Covered Ones" stem from incidents and disappearances that have happened in The Hollows. It is wise to never go here alone. It seems danger is alluring to many who wander off the beaten path.

Transients: A term used to refer to those who wander the lands on their own. Some Fairies find healthy ways to still live among the general masses, but many do not. Many Fairies, such as myself, become Transient as their lives change so drastically once Fairyhood sets in, that they cannot go back to a normal life. The same is true even for those who merely know of Fairyhood's existence but are not a Fairy themselves. This new knowledge leads them to seek more answers, and thus the Transient life beckons. This brings me to a thought that perhaps some Transients may try to join an Aberrancy for support. Or perhaps, being vulnerable when alone, are pulled into it forcibly...

Aberrant: Today, the term Aberrant appears to be a catch-all term for any cult, or outcast being that belongs to a cult. They avoid society and do not show their faces, as such they are sometimes referred to as "The covered ones". Many legends have sprung up about the Aberrant over time, none of them pleasant. A common legend speaks of them as gaunt and ghastly in appearance, and that just seeing one uncovered will scare you stiff. Then they drag you down to their cavernous dwellings and turn you to bone. And yet others would still say that they are simply misunderstood. It is widely accepted that there are multiple factions of Aberrant these days, due to differences in their attire between groups. One thing is for certain though – all of them wish to be left alone.

The Ivory Ruins: Eroded cliffsides and coastal drifts that contain the washed up remains of the colossal Giants and other megafauna of the past. I am sure that the bones hide many a secret within.

Cloud Dwellers: A term for any being that lives among the clouds. Often used in a derogatory manner, as most do not trust any cloud dwelling race and many rumors about them are spread. Even for most creatures who can fly, it is extremely difficult or even impossible to reach such heights. And with the air so thin, to survive long in them presents another issue all together.

Angels: An often mistrusted and vilified Cloud Dwelling race of bare-skinned isolationists. They live high in the clouds among the murky mists, dust and haze, hidden away from others.

Angelbeasts: Said to be born from the sins of the Angels, hence the name. Some say this is not true, including the Angels themselves. I once met an old and wise man who claimed to have met the Angels. When I asked him about the Angels and the Beasts all he said to me was, "Angelbeasts serve as an omen of loss of self. Thriving in fractured memory." How then, is a loss of self a sin? It seems that could happen to anybody… Of the Angels and the Beasts, I have my reservations. I don't quite know what to think, for I have laid eyes on neither.

Candlebearers: Not much is understood of these beings. They seem unresponsive to the outside world around them. Leave them be, and they will do the same unto you. They bear a candlewick on their heads and seem to journey to CandleTree forests and to the great CandleSpire fossils. It appears as if hardship is important to them in some way. Since they have it hard enough, and due to the seemingly sacred nature of their being, they are simply respected and left to their own. Even the Imps don't tend to interfere with them, which is interesting, and perhaps uncharacteristic. Something about watching a Candlebearer march on at sunrise evokes such a simple feeling of awe and wonder.

Saprocarps: Fungal creatures, born on beds of death and decay. Highly reclusive. I do not know much of them, but they reproduce unlike any sentient creature I know of. They do not give live birth or lay eggs, but rather are born from pods or sacs nestled within decaying matter.

The Serotinous Cove: A very strange, yet serene area where the ocean meets with active lava flow from cracks in the world. The area is blanketed in a thick, pink velvety mist or haze of sorts. When I closed my eyes and focused, it seemed as if I could just make out a distant and mournful song that cries out from the sea beyond. This place has a mysterious, almost blissful allure, perhaps to an intoxicatingly dangerous extent. To be safe, I wouldn't stay here long.

Weeping Sprites: A being as strange as the area it inhabits. It seems to cry out a soft song of its own as it floats along like a bubble in the gentle wind. Its tears appear to be made of lava, so tread carefully around this one.

The Maiden: I saw a being so outlandish and terrifying that I had to make note. It was unlike anything I had seen before. It had two legs and two arms just as you or I, and it was wandering about aimlessly, as if adrift at sea. It had no physical head to speak of. In its place were… ghostly masts and sails of wrecked ships. It was wearing what I assume was a heavily tattered dress tangled in a net. I just can’t make sense of it. I dared not stay in its vicinity for another second.

The Watching Rocks: Pointed rocks that seem to peer into your very soul with their blackened “eyes”. Some say they mark ancient grave sites, and some say they whisper echoes of the Void. Others say they are just odd, yet ominous looking rocks. Regardless of what they believe, everyone tends to keep their distance. Just in case. They are definitely an eerie sight. I’ve even been told, “If you look long enough to see the glimmer in their eyes, then it’s already too late for you.”

VoidTorn: Beings spoken of in Fairy legend that have been taken by the murk of the VoidSpill realms. Ticking time bombs. When one passes into the Void and is swallowed by it, they live within its empty and nightmarish realms for a time. Or so I’ve been told anyway. How could one live in such conditions? Surely they will soon turn to the very sludge that they were taken by. And so the Void spills out just that little bit further... After learning of the Void myself, I vowed I would never seek it out.

The Blooming Desert: An uncharacteristic desert with many oases that exists on two planes. Non fairies cannot see what is causing the sparse bits of rain to fall upon their land. All they see are simple clouds here and there. They speak of wind currents causing dense pockets of vapor to get trapped in the same spots, or underground aquifers. We however see the Cloudfalls above. A land all it's own.

The Cloudfalls: A gorgeous view of clouds and mist with such dense rain, it forms into waterfalls that flow into more and more clouds in an ethereal skyscape. Some spots appear to trickle down onto the desert below. To walk among those clouds must be a dream...

...And when the book is closed to collect dust yet again, it quietly waits for a new owner to scribble in its pages once more...