Bruce

Bruce T. Baker was a Pronesian explorer who lived several centuries before arc 0. He was implied to have perished at the hands of a diamond-like construct in the Aquamarine Pass, as this is where his explorer's log was found.

The record he kept is transcribed here.

## *Icosahedral Cathedral*

*This cathedral in the middle of Pronesia's forests was plundered long ago, and has twenty sides. The interior is filled with liquid, with a smaller icosahedron inside of it. There's a panel with some strange buttons and a slot for an icosahedron, but I haven't been able to make it work for me. It just gives me an awful chirp when I try typing anything in.*

## Icosahedron of Abilities

*This item is pretty special, if you ask me; it's an icosahedron that, when rolled, will make you great at one sort of skill and terrible at another sort of skill for 1 hour. If you roll a 20, you'll be good at everything, and if you roll a 1, you'll be terrible at everything.*

*The rumor is that the item came from the Icosahedral Cathedral. I went back there and attempted to insert the icosahedron into the slot, but it didn't fit. Maybe there's a different icosahedral item that does?*

## Mythical Longsword of Adjudication

*This relic has been the topic of many tall tales from across the ages, although the prevailing myth is that it is a +4 longsword once used by a hero, but was corrupted to a -4 curse by his slayer, a lich. No telling if it's true, and I fear that the merchant I bought it from scammed me, so I've sold it to someone else to rid myself of it. I've got flakes of rust everywhere.*

## Shrine of Conjuration

*This religious site in Pronesia is emanating powerful conjuration magic at an alarming rate. It is guarded by floating, disembodied skulls. Their mad cackling can be heard at a great distance, but the place is quiet for now. I can't help looking over my shoulder every so often; I've heard these necromantic sentries can wield some wicked attacks.*

*It appears that whatever magic is stored here, it requires a long object to be inserted in, sort of like a key. One half of the operating mechanism has been damaged by something, but the other half is intact. Nothing I have in my inventory fits the slot, though. I tried sticking my shortsword inside, hoping its magic would cause a reaction, but it was too short to fit perfectly.*

## Flying Skull

*Yoinks! On my way out of the Shrine of Conjuration, I encountered one of the skulls. The skull's gem-like eyes emit a magic shield that repels projectiles and magical attacks. It cast a draining attack on me, cursing my hit points. Rather than fight it at a range and be susceptible to its magic attacks, I decided to poke its eyes out with my shortsword. It didn't seem to like that, because the gems exploded when I did!*

*I'm at a nearby town now, lucky to be alive; the curse on my hit points remained until I found someone with a Greater Restoration spell. If you're heading to the Shrine of Conjuration, you should come prepared for a fight.*

*NOTE: You can also bring a Ring of Necrotic Abjuration to the site if you want to bypass the skulls entirely. See page 37.*

## Octahedral Cathedral

*This strange construct is enormous, but like the Icosahedral Cathedral, it has been plundered long ago.*

## The Anvil of Moradin's Judgement

*This magic anvil in the Pronesian town of Pelican Pond attracts magicians, alchemists, smiths, and adventurers alike. It is rumored that Moradin himself watches over every item placed on it, judging it on its value and, should the item be worthy, blessing it with his divine power. Unlike some of the other sites I've visited, this anvil and the items placed on it have been meticulously catalogued for posterity.*

*Here's some examples:*

*A standard dagger -> a +1 magical dagger.*

*A potion of healing -> a potion of greater healing.*

*A spellbook of a 1st level wizard -> A spellbook of a 1st level wizard that can be used as an arcane focus.*

*A spellbook of a 5th level wizard -> a spellbook of a 5th level wizard that can be used as an arcane focus, with two additional spells.*

*A wand of magic missiles -> a wand of magic missiles with double the charges, casting magic missile at level 2 instead of 1.*

*A set of +1 plate armor -> a set of +2 plate armor*

*The same set of +2 plate armor -> No result*

*A set of +3 plate armor, with a -6 curse on it -> Removes the curse, freeing the +3 plate armor.*

*A drawing of a scene -> The drawing is given a benefit depending on it's quality (e.g. it may be laminated, framed, etc.)*

*A person -> No result*

*A goodberry pie -> The goodberry pie no longer expires. Other food items are given an expiry immunity consummerate with their quality.*

*An object of magical force -> No result*

*A meticulously carved copper bracer -> The same bracer, made of silver*

*A meticulously carved gold goblet -> The same goblet, made of platinum*

*A page out of a spellbook of a new spell created by a wizard -> An altered version of the same spell*

*I had my shortsword upgraded there, bringing it from a +1 to a +2.*

*KOBOKASKY AQUATIC INDEFINETE CONTAINMENT FACILITY*

*This site is an underwater tomb made out of concrete and high-strength bronze. Its construction date is unknown, although it is regularly monitored by Malus's government. The site is a source of plutonium, a dangerous substance which can kill anyone who comes into close contact with it. Some foolhardy druids occasionally attempt to explore the facility; these expeditions are one of the only sources of plutonium that make it to land. There are a few other facilities scattered along the ocean floor.*

*According to the few druids who make it out alive, the interior of the tomb houses a separate, second facility in a state of severe disrepair. The facility is coated in rust and several sections have collapsed.*

## Ring of Necrotic Abjuration

*These rings are scattered around the world and valued by collectors. They abjure necrotic damage and necromantic spells. I don't have the cash to get my hands on one, but I've examined one of the silvery rings and drew a picture of it.*

*The rings appear to serve as a piece of identification for abjuring the skulls at the Shrine of Conjuration. The link between the two are unknown, although the skulls are probably possessed by some sort of necrotic energy.*

## Dodecahedra Cathedral

*The cathedral in the Flogarian town of Azura is empty and vacant, like the other two.*

## Cubic Construct

*Roughly six inches in dimension, the creature is impervious to slashing attacks even from my +2 magical shortsword; I suspect it is as hard as a diamond. One of the gemstones of the cave can be used to cut them, so that was particularly effective. Bludgeoning damage is effective against them, too.*

*The creatures are drawn to wet patches of mountain with valuable gemstones; if you leave the gemstones alone they won't attack you, it seems.*

## Egg Shrine

*This shrine is guarded by the Pronesian government and is a site of many skirmishes and conflicts. The site resembles an enormous glowing egg, but the inside is hollow and contains a large (silk? cashmere?) pillow in the center. This is a site that produces Magic Eggs. It makes them at a rate of about 1 every 3 days, and nobody knows where they come from. The officials there hand the eggs off to their government's Treasury. Obviously, many adventurers have tried to sneak past the guards to nab an egg, which is all the more lucrative because the guards can't look at the egg site directly or the egg won't appear.*

## Magic Egg

*My word, what a feast! This magic egg contains a taste sensation unlike anything my virgin tounge has experienced before! My understanding is that the egg has other applications, but now all I can think about is how good this egg would taste in a pie, or a cake. Maybe a quiche, or a tart of some sort?*