*This ancient tome seems to have been mostly destroyed by the past decades due to poor conditions. It is not entirely useless; you can make out the name of the large tome to be “CODEX COLLATIA” as it is inscribed at the top of both pages. Turning the pages would likely result in the destruction of the tome, however you can make out a few passages.*
THE ACCOUNT OF TEMPLAR ARKHAN MIDDENSTONE, RECORDED BY ALEIOS VIRANDI IN THE LORD'S GRACED YEAR 719 ANNO SALUS…
By the grace of the One True God, our journey commenced amidst the smoldering remnants of the Collatian dominion. The once-proud Old Dynasty had been brought low by the righteous might of our crusading Templars, their heretical leaders either repenting before the gaze of the Almighty Decus or facing the divine retribution reserved for apostates. Now, only the darkest vestiges of their pagan secrets remained, yet the grasp of the One True God proved firm and thorough. Amongst my brethren, many were tasked with rooting out these final embers of Collatian heresy, ensuring they were extinguished so thoroughly that they might never again ignite the fires of rebellion.
Whispers of ancient evils resounded through the stone confines of our prisons, where the Collatian sorcerers languished. Some, defiant to the end, faced the pyre with curses upon their lips. Others, more compliant, turned to Decus with promises of forbidden knowledge. It was from one such repentant heretic that I heard the tale of an ancient temple concealed within the hostile lands of Niunas.
Undeterred by the warnings of the redeemed apostate, I resolved to uncover the truth behind these whispers of darkness and despair. With a band of my fellow Templars, armed only with our faith and the consecrated blades passed down through generations, we ventured forth into the unknown, our hearts ablaze with the fervor of righteous purpose.
For days and nights, we journeyed through the treacherous depths of the swamp and the fury of mighty storms, our path fraught with peril at every turn. Yet, guided by the light of the One True God, we pressed on undeterred, our spirits unbroken by the dangers that beset us.
At long last, we stumbled upon the ancient temple, its decrepit spires reaching skyward like accusing fingers of stone. With a prayer upon my lips, I crossed the threshold into the forsaken sanctuary, my senses alert to the unseen dangers lurking within.
Within the shadowed depths of the temple, we encountered naught but the remains of ancient guardians. It became clear to us that we were the first to tread these hallowed halls in centuries. Undaunted by the grim silence that enveloped us, I pressed onward with unwavering determination, my faith a beacon in the encroaching darkness.
And then, in a chamber hidden deep within the temple's bowels, we found it: an ornate chest of dark metal. Silas Kjar, my brother in our band of Templars, dared to open the chest and therein lay a mysterious orb, pulsating with an otherworldly energy that sent shivers down my spine. As Brother Silas reached out to claim the artifact, he was overcome by a vision of unspeakable horror and madness, and chose to end his own life by his own blade. I still know not what he saw, yet I am sure that he brought his life to an end to protect the rest of us.
With heavy hearts, we lifted the chest and its sinister cargo from its resting place, the weight of our burden pressing down upon us with each step towards the temple's exit. Yet, guided by the light of our faith, the rest of us emerged from the depths of the sanctuary unscathed.
And so, we delivered the accursed artifact, sealed within its chest, to the servants of the One True God, so that they might seek to purify it. What became of the orb thereafter remains unknown to me, but of one thing I am certain: the presence it harbors is one of pure malevolence, and it must never be allowed to escape its metallic prison.