Witcher Jarin's Journal

A journal given to the Party by Konrad Giancardi.

The author, Jarin, originally handed it to Gertrude Schnabl, who then gave it to Konrad for safekeeping.

## Contents

**Entry 1:**

*"This is why Bears don't hunt in packs. We learn from each other, we train one another, but every Bear must follow the Path alone. This incessant bickering between Berilon and Freandel is driving me mad. Not only are they making the long journey unbearable, they are also setting a bad example for young Ivo. I decided to start writing a journal as a desperate measure to keep my sanity intact. Our de facto leaders, Kranos and Molchar don't seem to care. They keep their discussions private, and claim the trip all the way to Cidaris is going to be worth the trouble. A contract that asked for as many Witchers as we could spare. An infestation of sorts, perhaps?”*

**Entry 2:**

*“Cidaris is not the fishing village Molchar claimed it to be. Perhaps it was, long ago, the last time the old man was here. But today, it has one the biggest ports in the North, and is full of taverns and shops. Everyone's spirits seem to have improved. Who knew that a trip to the nearest brothel, and a couple rounds of beer could tame those two fools. But it did, thankfully, and now the rest can enjoy a measure of peace. Molchar and Kranos are meeting with the richest dwarf in the city, tonight. I bet the old timers are going to enjoy a feast, while we count our remaining coin in the nearby tavern.”*

**Entry 3:**

*“Now I know why we are here: Vampires. The dwarf, Konrad Giancardi, claims they swore to kill some of his relatives. Kranos thinks there might be a significant number of the creatures in the area, and judging from the dwarf's descriptions, we might be facing some of the more intelligent representatives of their kind. Not an easy job, but the dwarf is willing to spend a real fortune on this contract, and half of it up-front. And a dwarf of his stature can provide more than simple coin. Me and Ivo already deposited our shares to his bank, and Berilon is on his way back to the brothel, but the rest asked for something different: Giancardi Bank has the privilege of storing a number of Hudgruth's diagrams, as it seems the legendary blacksmith entrusted them to Konrad before leaving Cidaris.”*

**Entry 4:**

*“Moon dust bombs. Black Blood. Vampire Oil. Molchar has me and Frendel helping him prepare as many as we can. It seems the lair is somewhere in the swamps of Athacam Mire. There is supposed to be an old fortress there. Kranos took Berilon and Ivo and went to scout the area.”*

**Entry 5:**

*"Freandel succumbed to his wounds today. That vampire bitch got away with a lost arm and a nasty scar on her face from his sword though. I hope those will never heal. This whole fucking swamp is trying to kill us. Kranos doesn't want to listen. Freandel's death weighs heavily upon him, but he still wants to push on. I had enough already."*

**Entry 6:**

*“We left the fort. Just me and Ivo. The rest ...*

*...*

*I am leaving my formulae here, locked in Molchar's old chest, buried in the swamp. If any of the others survived, they might still use them. Otherwise, if anyone is foolish enough to follow in our footsteps, I made a map that marks the location and shows the easiest path to the fort. I will leave my notes and the map with the old alchemist. In truth, I have no plans of ever returning to this place, to this whole damned kingdom. But I can't stand Ivo's look on my back. It burns, the shame. I have to keep lying.”*