Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

The expedition notes of Sproggeltog Quintus Paravel the 1st.

Day 1.

A new world!

While interdimensional travel isn't unheard of, though still incredibly rare, the excitement of actually doing it is something that never fades away!

Of course there are ASTRONAMICAL dangers, there always was for things such as what I have accomplished! When I first stepped through the hole between worlds the temperature was so different that I almost went into shock! While it was spring going on summer in Aethera, here it felt like winter. Or perhaps fall given the coloration of the foliage?

I retrieved my adventuring kit and closed the portal as I left. I couldn't risk one of my incompetent, and jealous, colleagues stumbling into it and taking credit for MY discovery! I also didn't want potential fauna getting through and destroying my lab! Of course, not only was the temperature in stark contrast to Aethera the very geography was different as well!

I almost rolled down a steep hill, or what I thought at first was a hill, on my first trek into the unknown! It turned out that my portal had placed me on the side of a mountain! Were it not for my quick, and ingenious, thinking I would have fallen all the way down into a deep gorge!

After making steady, though careful, progress down the mountain I came across a flat enough area to make base camp! After quickly, and efficiently, setting up camp I set about exploring this new world! Which I have dubbed Sproglandia in honor of the great adventurer that discovered it of course. I set about collecting samples of the various flora around the camp. While some had already fallen victim to the chill climate, which proves that it is not always this nippy, most still looked in fair enough condition to catalog and run tests!

While running experiments on the flora I smelled something on the wind. It smelled like campfire! I followed the smell back up the mountain and found a primitive tribe of humans! They weren't like the educated and civilized men from the cities and universities, they were savage and barbaric! They would jump into what looked like a fight pit and maul each other with obvious bloodlust!

I have even witnessed them skewer small rodents on sticks and spit roast them over open flame! The only thing worth noting of these savages was that I was able to sneak over to a secure shed and found that they had strange jugs of clear liquid stored. It was simple to break the lock and siphon off enough for study later.

I had to make a tactical withdraw though as a group had come around to withdraw some from the shed! As I made my way back to base I noticed a city peaking through the gaps in the trees.

I hesitate to go down though. If they are anything like these barbarians in the mountains then it would be better that I keep my interactions limited.

While running tests on the clear liquid I noticed the overwhelming smell of it! After a experimental taste I discovered it was a most potent alcohol! Even back in the city it was hard to get alcohol of this quality for my potions, but yet here it was! Out in the middle of nowhere being brewed by the gallon by these primitive humans!

While a trade would be most helpful, given their ready use of violence on one another it would be more prudent to simply siphon some without their notice.

I will have to end todays log earlier than expected, the sun of this world has began to set and the cold is getting worse. I will have to set up a bigger fire just to keep the cold at bay. While one of my Warming Potions would work I don't wish to resort to it so soon as ingredients for it have been short to come by, and I am unsure if there is any that would suffice as a replacement in this world.

Day 2.

Something was stalking my camp at night. At first I paid it no mind, there will always be creatures and animals. But this seemed different. It didn't feel like a wild animal watching me, nor one of the locals getting curious about my camp. This felt like I was under a lens and was being studied like an insect in a glass jar!

Regardless, I still have the remote for my portal. If anything serious were to find me I can escape with ease. In the mean time I have decided to explore further towards the town I spied. I won't enter it though. I do not wish to risk being sacrificed to whatever blood thirsty deities they must worship.

As I made my way across the area I came upon a small creek! It was a way from my camp but a source of fresh water was always a boon! I refilled my canteen with the cold refreshing water and continued my expedition.

I followed the creek until I reached what appeared to be a human dwelling! Even more surprising was I found the kobolds! They were in an even more pitiful state than they were when I and the rest of our group encountered them. From what I could see from my spot behind a bush they were squatting below the dwelling itself.

No doubt the creatures killed the former occupants! I was tempted to return to Aethera. But watching kobolds out in the open was something one rarely gets the opportunities to do! So, in the name of research, I will observe the kobolds!

There wasn't much to observe from the ones camped outside the dwelling though. It looked like they were no better adjusted to the environment than I was. Some small fires had been built to keep the cold away, and some makeshift shelter formed to provide cover.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

A roar startled me as well as the kobolds! I had thought it some kind of monster intent on devouring them all! I watched as a great iron beast pulled into the back of the dwelling. Was this some kind of mechanical beast that the kobolds now latched onto in absence of a dragon?

That theory was quickly proven false as I spotted a human exit the confines of the monster. Was it a metal carriage? How did it run on its own? Was it magic or something else entirely?! I watched with bated breath as I witnessed the human and kobolds notice one another. Surely now that they have been seen the human will either drive them off or the kobolds will kill him like they've no doubt done to the inhabitants of the dwelling they now squatted in!

But I was shocked to see that not only did they not fight, but instead the human seemed to be helping them! He retrieved what looked to be mining equipment from the iron beast and with the help of another kobold handed it out to the others. They took it freely and gladly and before long they began to excavate the nearby hill. They are most likely making a new home. But why would the human aid them? Are they under some kind of spell? No, they didn't have the look that magic has been placed on them. Maybe a bargain was struck? Maybe there is wealth in the mountains and in return for what they find they aren't exterminated?

I have to cease my observation of the kobolds for now though. The human is heading in my direction.

The human ran past my position. I followed from a distance to wherever it was he was going. After a time he stopped in a wide and slightly deep spot in the creek. I watched as he dug through the muck and mud! Are even the civilized of these humans so crude that they resort to dredging up what looked to be some kind of shelled water insect for sustenance?

I watched as he dug through the cold water and muck, dragging out over a dozen of the what appear to be decapods. I had to stop watching for a moment and hide as he seemed content with his gathering and made to return to what I assume to be HIS dwelling. What was he going to do with all those though? Surely the human could gather something less appalling to feast on than some muck bug!?

Regardless. Time flies in the pursuit of science! The sun of this world was setting once again. Was I really out here for that long? I will have to experiment tomorrow to see if the days are shorter than on Aethera.

Day 3

The feeling of being watched continued last night. It was even more intense than last. I had to build a bigger fire just to feel safe enough to sleep. The feeling has now followed into the day! This was a different feeling though. But that's like comparing being watched by a bear and a wolf! If this continues I am leaving. I found the kobolds and a new world. The samples I have will be enough to give me some prestige. But it isn't worth getting eaten by whatever it was that was watching me!

Speaking of kobolds, I returned to my observation post and witnessed the kobolds progress. The burrow was coming along at an surprising rate! No wonder they were such pests! If such a small number can do this the thought of what thousands can do boggled the mind! How deep were the caverns and tunnels of their former home I wonder? We didn't have time, nor inclination, to search and study last time.

As my observations and musings continued I witnessed a strange sight. A female kobold came running from the dwelling carrying a sack of some kind. She stopped a distance from me and watched the cellar hatch, she looked to be waiting for something, or someone. I watched as the human emerged completely nude! His eyes focused on the kobold, who just smirked and taunted him before fleeing into the woods.

The human is giving chase! Was this the moment that they overstayed their welcome and now he was exterminating them? I followed after them. The kobold had the lead and a good distance from the human, but she was beginning to slow. The human was maintaining a steady pace however! Fascinating! Travis was never one to physically exert himself, but THIS human. While the kobold had ran and tired herself out the human was making a steady gain on her.

It was something to watch! The kobold, tired and exhausted from her fleeing, and the human, making his way over like some kind of reaper! I watched as the human closed the distance. He sprinted as he got close. I almost gave away my position when the kobold flung herself at the human! She now had him pinned and-

I will not describe what I saw, only that the humans in this world truly are savage, degenerate, barbarians! To think that a human would- NO! NO! I will NOT even put to paper what vile acts occurred! Suffice it to say that my already low opinion of this world has gotten lower. If that was even possible!

My day has now been ruined and scarred by what I witnessed! I am hesitant to turn in so early. As the day was getting darker the feeling was building up again. The campfire was no longer satisfactory. I'm going to place torches around the camp itself. Hopefully that will keep whatever it is away!

Day 4

SHEISCOMINGSHEISCOMINGSHEISCOMINGSHEISCOMINGSHEISCOMINGSHEISCOMINGSHEISCOMINGSHEISCOMINGTHELIGHTSINVITEYOUTOYOURDOOMWITHAMERRYTUNESHEISCOMINGSHEISCOMINGSHEISCOMEING-

"I didn't write this?!" Sprog said aloud as he read page after page of this maddened nonsense after he awoke! These weren't the words of a brilliant mind like his but one that had completely lost it! One of the locals must have found his camp and done it as some form of prank or joke! It had to be! But nothing else in the camp was touched and neither was he. His journal was the only thing tampered with and he had it next to him the entire time!

He was officially calling the expedition to an end! Not only did the feeling from last night get worse, the feeling he got during the day was back as well! It was clear he has overstayed his welcome!

Sprog began to put away his camp when a noise forced him away from the task. He watched as 8 of the primitive humans eyeballed him and his camp.

"You look lost there stranger. You need help gettin' where you need to?"

Sprog made to grab one of his alchemical concoctions but paused as the humans brought to bear on him what looked to be dwarven blackpowder guns!

"Easy there friend. We're just some folk lookin' to help a lost feller out, ain't we boys?"

"Hey?! Dis heres our shine!" One human stated as he picked up a vial of the clear liquid. While the humans were briefly distracted Sprog threw one of his fire potions at the collection of primitives. He smirked as the fire engulfed the lot of them.

Or he would if the one human hadn't caught the potion mid-air! He stared wide eyed as the human popped the cork, smelled it, then chugged the burning concoction!

"WOOO!!! DATS GOT SOME KICK!!!!" The human cheered as he failed to burst into flames!

"Why didn't it work? It always works! IT NEVER NOT WORKS!" Sprog yelled at the humans with insult.

"You gots anymore fancy shine lil feller?" The one human asked as he crept towards the gnome. For the first time Sprog felt truly afraid. Everything he made worked! So then why didn't it now?

He laughed hysterically as he turned and fled. He was stopped when the one human grabbed the potion bandoliers on his back.

"Where you fink yer goin' lil feller? We's jus gettin' friendly!"

Sprog moved his hands frantically as he unclasped his belts and fled as the human fell backwards. He kept running, the humans were distracted enough that it allowed him a small head start. But they would catch him eventually. He could still remember witnessing the stamina of the other human with the kobold.

His best bet was to hide and hope they wouldn't find him! He made it into a small clearing a ways. He pulled out his portal remote and pressed the button to escape. Then he pressed it again. Then again.

It wasn't working either. He started to panic as he searched for something to hide in when the very air itself moved in front of him. Then it tore away with a sound like fabric tearing as a being of spinning rings and eyes and fire bared down on him!

"WE FOUND YOU DEFILER!!!"

Its voice sounded that of tearing metal as his ears bled! Even his eyes began to bleed from witnessing the heavenly host!

"YOU WILL FACE JUDGMENT FOR YOUR TRESPASS!!!"

He didn't even get the chance to scream as he was whisked away from earth. Cole came upon where he believed the gnome had gone. It smelled like a mix of o-zone and incense. As he looked around though one of the others called to him.

"Cole! Come on! We'll find him later!"

Cole looked around the area again.

"Hear dat lil feller?! Yous can run, but you cain't hide! We'll find you!"

Cole chuckled as he left the clearing, unaware of the divine ordeal that just occurred.

"Wha' we doin' wif his lil camp?" He asked as he returned to the others.

"A couple boys will pack it up and bring it back home. The rest of us are goin' to help Jeb out with whatever trouble he's got." One of his kin stated as Cole watched the camp get deconstructed and packed up.

"Den let's get to it!" Cole said as he followed the rest down the mountain to help Jeb out.