A collection of writings, in multiple pieces, of a figure known only as "V.T.M." He has personal insights, commentary, and inquiry on his research and efforts, as well as results of his work, into the issue of the Shroud, it's creation and its cure.
I believe the Shroud to be spores. Tiny, almost minuscule fragments that spread through the air... now condensed, heavy, and potent.
They cling to airways, eyes, fur, and skin. They spread.
The fungi release these spores upon contact, but their roots might've anchored us for a long time... We awoke a slumbering malady at the earth's core when we built the first Well, and distilled the first Elixir.
The Mysterious Wanderer opened the floodgates to ruin.
- V.T.M.
Even in Shroud and war, there is light.
A spark of hope.
A group of ancients spoke to me... for the first time ever, in an age of outcries, they hushed.
They plan to build... "Cinder Vault." Vessels which will guide an Ancient Flame into a human shell. Body and mind, Flame and flesh... a mortal soul born from fire, able to banish the fog.
Hopefully, we can bring forward a new age this way.
- V.T.M.
Another Well is built on the backs of workers, slaving away tirelessly to gouge a tunnel into the earth.
The plans for this construction are... otherworldly. The chasm spits fumes with every jab.
Thin veils of mist cause headaches and irritate the eyes... All for the Elixir.
I hope this foul air will not spread to Jammu.
- V.T.M.
It's a formula I do not quite grasp, sophisticated beyond imagination. I'm not surprised to know that the source of this recipe is otherworldly. Created from the flesh of these tiny, delicate fungi growing deep beneath the earth... It grants power.
Yet, when I look at this flask, worry fills my heart. This will never be a cure. This will always be a weapon. Perhaps the Ancients wanted to hide this for a reason...
- V.T.M.
The Shroud swallows all. Even us.
We become lost to dusk, vanish, and morph into a sea of cornflower-stained twilight.
Never have I encountered a sickness, a curse of this gravitas. The fog burns eyes and lungs, but it doesn't quite kill.
It spreads.
It manipulates.
It eats away at us, slowly, leaving only a husk. There is no cure for this. Only the power of the Flame can keep the Shroud at bay.
- V.T.M.
We are all weary and for lack of rest -- but, I assure you, I will have more tinctures and remedies ready soon, please be patient. You can pick them up at the tower.
I noticed some of you are turning towards unsavory means for protection. I beg of you to refrain from such extreme measures. Blackmarket solutions are highly volatile and dangerous and I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt! You can't know what consumption of such elixirs may possibly cause...
- V.T.M.
The following precautions against the Shroud MUST be taken at all times:
-- Do not venture into valleys or near river basins. The Shroud can overtake you quickly.
-- Avoid contact. DO NOT breathe it and be sure to shield your eyes.
-- After contact, medicate immediately with approved remedies, and quarantine.
Please, ONLY take prescribed medication! Stay clear of the Elixir. Its long-term effects are unknown!
- V.T.M.
My spirit is broken.
Can I really blame the people for turning away from my potions in their desperation? Most of my visitors these days are rats and other sad pests... so far, they have not proven to be great lab partners.
There must be a better way to clear the Shroud... to overcome it. Perhaps I should reconsider my efforts.
- V.T.M.
A concoction, advertised and purported to be a cure to the Shroud. Instead, according to V.T.M.'s writings, it essentially had an opposing effect. It did have a beneficial effect upon imbibing, however, it has been documented that the side effect was perhaps more harmful than the benefit was helpful.
There was no Elixir found in his lab, but the means of its brewing was reverse-engineered.
Ingredients for Elixir include:
With V.T.M.'s discovery of the falsehoods of the Elixir, he ventured to make his own potion to help those affected by the Shroud. His process was elaborate and in depth. Not necessarily more in depth than the Elixir's process, but there was a large effort into mass production with Elixir, and when desperate people are in need, they tend to go for the quick answer; thus, the Elixir was used en masse, while V.T.M.'s Shroud Survival Potion was not rushed to.
His recipe for the potion is documented, however, as follows: