The first in my collection. One of four is still known to exist. It's an appropriate start. Something scarce and illegal in this part of the world. Telenor believes I am taking an unnecessary risk, but I'm afraid I have to disagree. The item is religious but possesses no magical aura. For some discrete payments here and there, no one pays too much attention except those brought to view something so rare. A fine start to my collection, it will be perfect as the centerpiece of my private little museum.
2/22/281.
An object from the Dominion. It was not cheap to acquire, but it was a unique item. A weapon from one of their mythic Brass guards. It is, unfortunately, not functional. But having a Dominion item as the second object of my collection is too much of an opportunity to pass on. This item had to be brought here by more secretive means. The Imperium would not be too happy with an item from the Dominion in their lands. I wonder if I should try to restore it.
10/25/281
A ceremonial dagger of the Krugen people from the dangerous and mysterious lands of Krig. It's a beautiful piece to add to my collection. Telenor warned me that the Krugen are very protective of their ceremonial items and that this object was most likely acquired by nefarious means. Unfortunately, sometimes, one must beak a few eggs to make an omelet, as my dear father used to say. With a few more items, I will start showing off this excellent museum to my most valued customers and rivals.
10/30/281
I finally managed to procure a piece of art from the famous elven artist Aredhel. Only a few pieces survived the kin slayer wars. This is a rare one, indeed. I believe I will open my collection for my guests in one week.
11/7/281
An astounding success, the look on some of my rival merchants was priceless. Dolonar offered me a massive sum for the dagger. I, of course, refused; I could feel the annoyance radiate off him, perfection.
6/7/282
A Krugen has arrived in the city searching for the dagger. How they managed to trace it to this city worries me. I have decided to hire some of the local toughs to persuade him to leave.
6/9/282
That did not go as planned, and the Krugen thoroughly beat the toughs. They also revealed that they had been hired. I cannot have this outsider interfere with my life here. Unfortunately for him, I will have to hire a few mercenaries to convince him to leave or make him go.
6/12/282
One Kruger slew eight well-trained and armed mercenaries. They are as formidable as the stories say. I will have to hire those who are more skilled in the art of killing. The Tridents are well known for this sort of business.
6/16/282
They succeeded; one was killed, but the other managed to kill the Kruger. It was not cheap hiring these killers. It will severely harm my business if I must hire another killer. I have decided to have the body brought to the Mourn swamp. If another Krugen comes searching, he will hopefully end up there, and whatever beasties there are will take care of him in that forsaken place. I have also realized that I need to prevent scrying into my collection. I have commissioned a master carpenter to line the walls of my museum with lead. I have hired a wizard to enchant the windows so they cannot be pierced by scrying or location magic.
8/17/282
My eyes and ears have not reported any sightings of another Krugen. Now, I can focus on expanding my collection. A merchant from Xorth asked to meet with him, implying that he had something I might be very interested in.
8/18/282
The merchant certainly took a chance to bring such an item to the Imperium. I am not sure what it is, but according to my in-house expert on the arcane, It has strong necromancy magic mixed with something else. This is a fascinating item; sometimes, I imagine it calling me. It might be my imagination, but just in case, I will seal it inside a glass and lead case. I have not decided if I should display it. It has a unique structure but fits in with the rest.
9/11/282
I have spent a small fortune and used my extensive network to learn more about the black steel sliver. It may be from a more oversized item, a weapon, or armor. I find this exhilarating. The hunt for its history will be complex, making it even more rewarding when I discover it.
5/15/283
It has taken some time, but I am starting to discover some information about the strange metal shard. It belongs to a more significant piece, a weapon of some kind. This is fascinating. I might have found an ancient artifact from a lost age.
6/30/283
Another beautiful artifact from the ancient underground kingdom. A forge hammer that is said to have forged the first Morgas blade. I would never have discovered it if I had not been researching the Shard.
12/15/283
Ordog, the blade of Ordog. The Shard belonged to a creator known as Ordog, a general or king. This is getting more and more exciting as I dig further.
8/30/284
A demon general, ha. The weapon, a sword, belonged to a demon lord who ruled a kingdom on this very continent. Now, I must have the rest of the blade. Who knows what secret a reforge weapon of such a creature holds?
13/28/284
This is frustrating but still exciting. Discovering the rest of the Shard will take time and a small fortune. I will have to split my time between locating the other shards and my business to afford to find the Shard without having a Seeker at my door. This will take some time.
6/18/285
I have discovered something about a group of individuals set to hide the shards or keep them locked away. I have decided to hire a group of researchers to take over my research; this obsession is starting to harm my business dealings.
3/7/287
Five families were tasked with hiding or keeping the shards locked up. Five draconic families have drastically narrowed down the research topic. The team I hired has done a fantastic job.
5/23/287
There are two family names and one of them no longer exists. They were lost at sea, traveling to the continent of Amitan. This means that one of the shards might lie at the bottom of the ocean. A needle in a needle stack. The other family, the House of Tiejern, traveled north of this continent. I am getting so close.
9/15/287
The Shard I have came from the House of Nuhan, or copper as some called it. They were wiped out during the Sultan wars. The Shard I have came from that house. I also went over a family sigil that might belong to one of the other families. I will have to follow this lead.
9/15/287
Ha, in my research of the sigil, I discovered the location of one of the Shards. It appears that one has found its way to the black market in the Dominion. I must have it; the laws of this land be dammed.
12/6/287
Getting the Shard to me was costly; it would take at least a year for the item to arrive if not more. I am not taking any chances. The Seekers must refrain from taking notice of what I am doing. I will quietly search for the location of the other three shards.
5/22/288
Tranvaria, the house of Tiejern, changed its name to the House of Lamassu. They settled there and warred against the inhabitants of those lands. I will have to send someone to see if they still have the item and if they are willing to sell it.
9/16/288
Who would have thought that the last Shard is in the collection of another collector of artifacts from ancient times? A family that I must be careful about dealing with. I always knew that The Mercier family had great taste, but who would have thought their secondborn would be the one with a flair for artifacts from the ancient past of Barator? I will have to see how much this will cost me.
2/20/289
The Shard from the Dominion is on its way. They will have to travel to Zultanus and then north, following the trade route to Tal. The Shard might arrive by the end of the year or sometime next year. patience is indeed a virtue.
6/15/289
That arrogant brat laughed at my offer. I’ll have to dig up some dirt on the brat. If platinum will not get me the Shard, maybe a little blackmail will.
7//5/289
Those I sent to Tranvaria have finally reported back, and I thought them dead. They say that the people of these lands are strange, and they have lost at least half of their party reaching Tranvaria. Well, that is what they are getting paid for. They will report back when they discover the location of the family.
3/4/299
That little shit Aran seems to have made a side deal with members of the Crimson hand. They pay him a lot to ignore them importing illegal items without paying the black-market tax. If his father or older brother learns of this, he might have a fatal accident. The Shard is as good as mine.
5/23/299
Finally, the Shard has arrived in Harlow, and the item should be in my hands by the end of next week. Now, I have to figure out which family that strange sigil belongs to, and all the Shards should be in my hands before the year ends.