Kendra

Kendra's research notes consist of pages of complicated text and diagrams, written in a way that only she really has a hope of understanding. Amongst the research, there are personal notes, written in precise handwriting.

Above the entry, there is a diagram showing what looks like a twisted spider's web, blowing in the wind. Two bold lines form a cross over the diagram, and the word 'inconceivable' is written to the side.

The unending beige of this city is playing havoc with my eyes. As if it were not bad enough that I have to keep a pair of reading glasses for finer text, but now my ability to discern colours is failing me?
Of course, I only marginally regret coming here.
Had I continued my studies, I would have still been surrounded by savages. Humans and lesser elven subraces, every one of them trying futily to break free of their natural inferiority, working under the misguided pretence that they are my peers.
There was no way for me to know that my sister had not been caught up in the appearance of the dark wisps at the Lycaceum. It was hard enough to discover her whereabouts having travelled there, much less relying on less insistent methods of communication. A letter, or a communications crystal, can be ignored more easily than an elf with a composite longbow.
Finally, someone told me that she was doing fieldwork in Trinsic, as if the name of some human city is supposed to mean something to me. Nonetheless, I left them to their attempts to clean up. I have no idea what they have done to anger the wisps, but I did not plan to fall victim to the consequences of whatever it is the humans are trying to accomplish.

Trinsic, where to begin?
The city is tolerable, I suppose, and my sister is here. Although whether she really wants me here is questionable at best, for her sake, I have to stay, the outcome of this fieldwork is too important to trust to her alone.
I left my studies to look for my sister, and now there is no way for me to return to them, I will have to enrol again. That is something that would have to be arranged by mother and father, although they don't know that I have left my studies, and I am not in a hurry to tell them. This city, however, allows me ample freedom to continue my own studies. Aside from a few rather serious disruptions, in the form of organised attacks on the city, and the general disruptions that come with living in a city (opposite an orphanage, no less!), there is peace enough.
Blackrock is an interesting substance, definitely worthy of my attention. Although I wonder how long it will be before the irrational fears of the people within the city overcome whatever desires, or lack thereof, they harbour that keep them from disturbing me too intolerably. Blackrock is considered by many to be dangerous, corrupting, or any one of a number of similar adjectives. It is associated with the 'Armageddon' spell, which might be enough to warrant a degree of caution, but fire is associated with untold death and destruction, and that doesn't stop the humans waving it around like they are its master.
I digress.

I think I will take a walk, before the streets grow too busy.
Perhaps, if I leave the sandstone behind me for a little, my skin will not look so off-colour to my eyes.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

This entry comes after what seems to be a detailed description of the site of one of her experiments, triggering an 'Armageddon' reaction in a piece of Blackrock. Included with the description is a diagram of what could be a butterfly, from the top down, although the relationship between the text and the diagram is left unexplained.

There seems to be some connection between the discolouration of my skin, and my experiments with the Blackrock.
The changes were minor to begin with; Meygan was the only one to really notice, and even she was convinced when I suggested that it was simply that I have been indoors too much.
But there was a noticeable change following my experiments last night.
In order to study the apparently explosive reaction, I needed to trigger it in a few pieces, and observe the results.
Overall, the experiment was a success. I was able to trigger the reaction successfully in all three pieces, although my observations were inconclusive.
As I have stated in my notes, the "explosion" does not seem to be chemical in nature. This much I have established, largely through the absence of the usual signs of a chemical explosion, rather than proof to the contrary. I would like to compare my notes with others, but they seem to believe in childrens' tales involving fictional characters and events as evidence, at least in the writings I have found within the libraries of the land.
Now, my skin resembles a storm cloud. Not a trace of its former fairness remains, only a hideous grey that leaves me looking more like a half-drow than anything else.
Am I being punished for my pursuit of knowledge?

As if it wasn't bad enough that I'm starting to look like a half-drow, I've been threatened with being put in the stocks, of all the barbaric things, if I fight with my sister again.
This coming from the human who is well on the road to starting a war with the city's former allies.
We are siblings, it is natural that we fight a little.
Now, the human's interference (and that of the human that stole my bow) threatens any chance I may have with the duke.
There are times I hate what my life has become. Now I must apologise to the captain, but I have about as much idea of how to do that as I do regarding human courtship rituals.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

Written on a loose sheet of paper, tucked into her spellbook. The writing is quite chaotic, and there is nothing else on the page.

Stupid Meygan!
Listening to my sister is quite possibly the stupidest thing I have ever done, with the probable exception of leaving my studies to look for her in the first place.
Even Vesperians have more friends within the city walls than she does, and like an idiot, I trusted her to give me advice on finding a husband.
It's not as if I even needed one, but like a good little sister, I followed her suggestions.
Perhaps, of the two of us, it is me who is stupid. It's likely that she's just useless; a blot on perfection of our race.
I have my doubts that I'll be able to show my face in the city again. Because of her defective advice, I've likely lost any trace of dignity I may have earned, in the few times I've managed to escape from her shadow.
"Kiss him."
What kind of advice is that?
I'm sure that would work wonderfully with Troglodytes, or even Kaldorians or Vesperians. But his grace is none of those things.
I have no idea what I was thinking, or even if I was thinking at all.
If this was a research experiment, I would perhaps conclude that people are an immeasurable quantity, which only introduce chaos into an equation.
In order, there are answers.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

A copy of a letter, slipped neatly among the papers, written with meticulous handwriting.
Addressed to Kendra and Meygan's parents.

Ada, Naneth.

My deepest apologies for not writing sooner; I meant no disrespect by it.
Time in human lands moves much faster than I am used to, or so it seems. To humans, time is an adversary; they live such short lives that passage of time is not something they seem capable of appreciating. It is almost as if I could blink, and everything will be different when I open my eyes.
Sister and I are here in the human city of Trinsic; the city of honour.
We are both in good health, and being productive i out lives.
Sister is conducting fieldwork, into the use and application of magic in the world. As a part of her work, she served with the guards for a time, and now applies her magical ability elsewhere. In addition, she has also begun courting the city's Trade Minister.
I am researching the nature of the material known as "Blackrock", with some success. Although I am hampered by the poor quality of the human research that I am left using for reference.
There are a few small troubles, but for the most part, everything is well.
Perhaps, if you can find the time, you might visit us. Although the location of the city is a little unpleasant, many of the humans here are more respectable than one might expect.

Your daughters,
In small, carefully flowing handwriting: Valaina
In larger, elegantly sweeping handwriting: Meygan

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

Traces of blood stain the page, and the handwriting is a little untidy.

Where did my life go so wrong?
I was considered "promising" during my time at the lycaceum. There was even some mention of the possibility of teaching there, in the future. Though, my talents would likely have been wasted, elevating idiots' minds to a point somewhere above mundane.
But here I am now, hidden away in a crumbling building, in the middle of a demon-infested city. It would be a tragedy for my abilities to be lost here, to some infernal magic, or a lump of falling sandstone.
Not that there's much hope of an alternative outcome.
There are just so many demons, everywhere, including several types that weren't covered during the limited classes on demons, at Moonglow.

My attempts to study the inactive gate have lead to worse than simple failure. My approach was seemingly anticipated, and several demons attacked me as I drew near the gate.
I suppose I'm lucky to be alive, but I fear I've just delayed the inevitable.
The ship I arrived on is gone. Either the captain was able to retreat to safety, or the demons destroyed it.
The moongate is inactive, and I wouldn't stand a chance of reaching there, or the docks.
Perhaps I could escape with my magic, though I doubt the spell will function as intended.

I will rest, and then decide.
Perhaps, it would be better to die fighting, after all.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

Letting out a breath, Kendra lay the quill down on the desk, and read over the letter she had just signed.

Dear Kaelyn,
It pains me to have sat by, while others risk their lives for the defence of Magincia, and potentially, the whole land. Though, I gather the battle hasn't fared any the worse for my absence.
I do offer some good news, however. Not to mention a silver lining to my my research.
Using the magic-negating properties of Blackrock, I am confident that it could be used to collapse the moongate, thus stemming the tide of the invasion.
I can see you frowning at that, Captain. I understand the fears that are raised in people by Blackrock, almost as much as I understand the material itself.
While I won't deny that there is a risk of an unstable reaction, I am certain that the scale of it would not be widely devastating. I am certain that the samples I've been able to acquire are not pure enough to threaten anything beyond the immediate area, should such an event occur, which I consider unlikely enough to suggest it in the first place.
In the unlikely event, would it not be a small victory in itself, for the moongate to be lost beneath the waves?
While it would warm my heart to have an escort to the gate, it may be safer for me to approach the gate alone, under cover of darkness. Avoiding the demons, rather than attracting their attention with unnecessary fighting, would give a better chance of reaching the gate overall. Though, I would welcome your input on the matter.
It will take several hours to prepare, by which time you will likely be on duty.
Signed,
Kendra Duallain.

Not for the first time, she fought down the urge to burn the letter, and pretend she had no idea of how to close the gate.
Entering a demon-infested jungle, on its own, wasn't exactly something she was in a hurry to do. Much less doing so, while carrying a piece of the most dangerous substance in the land, with the only reward for reaching her destination being another gamble with her life.
Her eyes flicked to another letter, already sealed within an envelope, addressed to her sister.
“Just in case,” she whispered, trying to convince herself to think a little positively. Just because success wasn't guaranteed, didn't mean that failure was.
Reaching across the desk, she pulled over another sheet, and began writing another letter.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

Who would ever volunteer to be a healer?
It's disgusting!
Especially now. Healing injured people to a point where they can go out and get injured again.
Butting skulls with the oncoming demon army seems to be all they're interested in doing, rather than supporting a more logical approach to defeating them.

I cannot see the wood for trees.
The nature of the problem has changed. What would have worked to close the get will not work for the rift that has formed in its collapse, of that I am sure.
A magical field cam be dispelled, but the rift shows few of the characteristics of a magical field. My best guess is that anything that come into contact with it will appear on the other side, at the source of the demon invasion. Perhaps, that leaves the option of taking the fight into their realm, if things get desperate. Although I will admit, that is a stupid plan.
The more I think about it, the further away an answer seems.

I will have to examine the rift, tomorrow.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

At the top of the page, there is a fairly detailed sketch of the rift. Around it, are several rough demons, with exaggeratedly fearsome proportions.

Understanding the nature of the rift is difficult.
At its simplest, it could be compared to a tear in a curtain. Where, on one side of the curtain lies this land, and on the other is the realm of the demons. What goes through the tear on one side appears on the other, and without testing the theory, I can only assume that the same is true the other way.
If the rift does not allow travel both ways, then the situation could be more dire than it seems, with the demons invading. It is hard to quantify the risks, since there are a lot of unknowns, but my suspicions are that it will get a lot worse before it gets any better, if it does.
On sealing the rift, the analogy of a curtain breaks down. It will not be as simple as applying a patch, or sewing it up. Though, the analogy brings something interesting to mind.
The humans have a saying, that "a stitch in time saves nine".
Perhaps, the problems with the moongate are related to the constant use of the moongates, without any attempts to maintain, or even to fully understand them. Though they are based on powerful magic, nothing lasts forever. Perhaps the same fate awaits all of the other moongates.
Though, with no particular merit to that theory, above any other, the simplest is likely true. The assumption that the demons have corrupted the moongate to their own purposes is, perhaps, the most likely.

How does one repair such a rift?
If it is a simple tear, then its existence is not driven by an outside source. In that case, the only solution is to repair it. Which is something I haven't the faintest idea of how to do.
If the rift is somehow sustained by an outside source, then removal of that source may cause the rift to seal. Knowing the source would be fundamental to repairing the rift, in that case.
On this side of the rift, the only possible source I can imagine is the moonstone that formed the gate.
On the other side... it could be anything...
What does a demonic realm even look like? Could an Elf, or a Human, survive there?

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

I will be glad when all this is over.
Aside from the obvious benefits of repelling an invading force of demons, when peace finally descends on Magincia, it will no longer be necessary to entrust my fate to one of these accused vessels.
The crew are taking some pleasure in my discomfort, although thankfully they've grown bored of making jokes about me needing “sea legs” instead of “tree legs.”
It is a blessing that the fate of the land isn't solely entrusted to idiots such as them.
The fires that threaten to consume the city make the horizon glow an angry red, even though the island itself is still out of sight.
There are several others on this ship; warriors and mages, mostly.
No one smiles. Many even avoid eye contact with their fellow travellers, knowing that they'll only see the weariness they feel mirrored in their eyes. Some of them speak amongst themselves, in hushed tones, though most remain silent, anticipating what awaits them when we reach the city.
Speaking of which, I have to prepare.

Kendra swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped off the ferry, ignoring the offered hands from the attending guards. It wasn't as if she were some frail maiden, or old crone, who needed their help. More likely, they were looking for a smile from the elven female, to brighten a doubtlessly dismal day.
As an afterthought, she brought a smile to her lips and bowed her head slightly, hopefully conveying enough sincerity in the gesture to, at least, not make them feel any worse.
Not for the first time, she pondered what might have happened, had she attempted to close the moongate. There was a chance that she could have prevented all of this, or even if she had failed, there were limited ways that the situation could be any worse than it had become.
Putting aside those thoughts, she followed the others that had been on the ship with her, to the stairs that lead to the city.
On reaching the top of the steps she, and several others, stopped in their tracks. Scarcely a building in the city stood unschathed, the loose remnants of the buildings littering the streets, and thick plumes of smoke from several fires rose into the air.
The invaders were winning. Even if they retreated now, it seemed unlikely that the city would be able to recover any time soon. Even those that survived the invasion would have nothing but ash and rubble to return to. Perhaps those that died were the lucky ones.
Kendra shook her head, quickly, trying to remove such thoughts from her mind. Regardless of any of that, his grace had offered aid to Magincia, and she would do all she could to deserve the trust he had placed in her, when he had granted her citizenship.
A slightly pained look crossed her face, as she reminded herself that he would never recognise her as more than a citizen. By extension, he wouldn't think any less of her, if she found a corner to hide in until the fighting was over, but she would know that she had betrayed his trust, if only in a relatively minor way.
Steeling herself, she quickened her pace into the city itself. If she didn't try, then she'd never know what she could accomplish. Besides, she didn't want to be just a citizen, or a just a little sister, or just a student of magic.
“Idiot!” she muttered to herself, and slipped through a gap in the barricade that blocked the road.

The rift is heavily guarded. That is, if you can call a swarm of demonkind stomping around in the vicinity guarding. I suppose the point is irrelevant, since the result is the same, and has me procrastinating by pondering how to define their behaviour, as opposed to doing what I came here to do.
Getting past the demons, strangely, will be the easiest part. Though their powers are many, avoiding attracting their attention should be as easy as maintaining a spell of invisibility.
As the humans of this land say, “out of sight, out of mind.”
That doesn't do much to make me feel any more confident about going in there.
In fact, I'm terrified.

Kendra approached the rift cautiously, stepping carefully to avoid making too much noise, not to mention soiling her boots with something unspeakable.
Thankfully, the demons hadn't noticed her. Although that fact alone had lead to a number of near misses, with a couple of imps flying by where she was, and a huge demon that planted its giant foot right next to the bush she had been hiding behind.
She allowed herself a grim smile.
Somehow, it was as if she had emerged from the other side fear, into a strange form of clarity. If anything went wrong, there would be nowhere to run. The path out of danger was as dangerous as any other path she could take.
Carefully, she reached into her robe, and took the small black stone she had concealed there in her hand. She would never hear the end of it, if anyone found that she had brought Blackrock to the rift, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was important, and she wasn't fond of the idea of taking a second trip through the jungle, if it turned out that she needed it.
Her brow creased in confusion, and she quickly let go of it, reaching for her journal.

The sample of Blackrock I have brought with me seems to be reacting to something.
Although it retains its shape, as like a solid substance, my fingers sink into its surface as I grip it, as though it were liquid.
I was able to accomplish something similar during my research, which leads me to believe that there is a form of magical field emanating within the vicinity of the rift. My suspicions are that it is either the rift itself (or something beyond), or the moonstone of the gate.
I will investigate further.

Anticipating that she would need to write more notes on her actions, she left the book, quill and ink at the foot of one of the circle of stones.
While watching the rift carefully, she reached into her robe, and retrieved a pair of small gems. Keeping hold of one of them, she took the other in her right hand, and brought her arm back to throw it. She was terrible at such things, but ir wasn't worth taking unnecessary risks, approaching the rift, just to get a communications crystal into it.
With a wince of anticipation, the threw the gem, watching it carefully as it arced towards the rift, and disappeared.
“That's a good start,” she said softly to herself, bringing the other gem up to her ear, hoping to hear something from the other side of the rift. Assuming that there was another side, of course.
After a few minutes of listening to the silence from the gem, she reached for her journal, pulling a face in irritation.

Attempting to use a communications crystal to discover more about what may lay on the other side of the rift has been inconclusive.
Either there is nothing to be heard on the other side, or the rift itself has somehow severed the link between the crystals.
I had been hoping that they would confirm the presence of something on the other side.
I will have to experiment further.

She closed the book, and pushed it aside again, laying the quill and ink pot on top of it, along with the communication crystal.
The presence of the demons was now a problem, since any form of divination spell she attempted would likely reveal her, with predictable consequences.
There were protection spells she could use, but they would require casting, which would yield the same results as a divination spell.
“Great,” she muttered, “perhaps you should have thought of that, before you waded into the middle of the demons' beachhead.”
Reaching into her robe, she took hold of the piece of Blackrock, and took it out carefully.
She could use the Blackrock to determine the source of the magical field that it was reacting to. The chances of there being a magical field here that had no connection to the rift were slimmer than the field being related to the rift. So, if she could locate the source of the field, then perhaps closing the rift wouldn't be so hard.
Hardly a guarantee, but a slim chance was better than none at all.
Holding the rock out in front of her, at arms length, she crept towards the rift, trying to gauge the strength of the reaction by testing how solid the rock seemed.
As she past through the ring of stones, a bolt of lightning came from nowhere, striking her outstretched arm, throwing her backwards a few feet, and forcing her to drop the Blackrock. She hit the ground, holding her burned arm to her chest, protectively.
Her cry of pain was short-lived, as it was quickly drowned out by a fearsome roar. The invisibility spell that had been protecting her was broken, probably by the lightning, and her cry of pain had drawn the attentions of the nearby demons.
Scrambling to her knees, she looked around in a panic. There was no way she could make it out of the jungle, past all of the demons, even if she ran to the nearby coast, and threw herself over the shallow cliff.
With grim resolution, she reached for her spellbook, and looked for the nearest demon.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

A copy of a letter is slipped between the pages.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

Written on a fresh page, with exaggerated care.

A malicious person.
It was bad enough that my parents didn't believe that I'd written the letter to them, instead assuming my intention was to bring more pain to them.
Why anyone would do that, I don't know. Well, I can think of a reason, now, but such thoughts are inappropriate.
I was able to gather some calm, from somewhere, and visit them. All things considered, I handled myself well.
Mother was happy to see that I was alive, and seemingly well, although her eyes told a different story. It was more surprising, really, that she didn't react more like father.
He was not pleased to see me, at least, not as I am. In his eyes, I am dead, or worse than dead. I never understood what used to go through his mind.
I still don't, and probably never will.

Sister was sympathetic, and invited me to visit Kimi and her.
When I declined, she looked upset. Why do I upset my family, all the time?
To compromise, I invited Eleri to come, also.
She has been a good friend to me. There are people who tolerate me, and those who are nice. Then, there's those that are kind for me, for no reason other than to be kind to me.
I don't understand those people, but I'm glad for them. They make me feel something that isn't alone.
The twins were there, awkward and whispering between them.
Kimi prepared teriyaki, no doubt because I'd enjoyed it before.
It was enjoyable, although not enough to make me forget what had happened during the day.

Apparently, a few days after that, I went to defend Trinsic against an attack.
I don't remember a thing about it, but the twins reported that I had been summoning daemons, to fight the invasion.
I don't see why they'd make such a thing up, and they seemed quite certain of it. I can't really argue the matter, since I don't remember it, but it doesn't sound right.
I can think of no good reason, that I would summon a daemon. After being their "guest" for several months, it's hard enough to see the daemon that looks back at me in the mirror.
There are so many possible explanations for what has happened, and none of them are particularly good.
I refused to deface my spellbooks, to remove the summoning spells. Even if I'd cooperated, I wouldn't have removed them all, and I have other books.
I refused to agree to turn in my books at the gate, and collect them when I leave town.
So, I've been banned, for a week.
I'll have to talk to his grace, about this. I've done nothing but try to help the Duchy, and the people of this land, and this is how I'm repaid?

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

Written below the above entry, with exaggerated care.

That didn't go as planned.
As far as my original ban went, I was able to enter the city unopposed.
Apparently, reading reports is too much for many of the guards. Even the captain seemed entirely oblivious to my banishment, or otherwise indifferent.
I was able to speak with his grace, though, and eventually agreed to replace my current spellbooks with one which didn't include the daemon summoning spell.
Before I was able to arrange such a book, Eleri came to the gate.
Apparently, one of the guards decided that I wasn't even permitted outside the gate, which I naturally objected to.
His response, after a final warning, was to attack me.
Since I couldn't be certain that he'd break off his attack if I left what he considered the city, and I didn't feel much like accepting his flawed interpretation of my ban.
So, a quick teleport later, and I was on the walls.
Archers are harder to avoid, but not impossible. The other guards left him to chase me, which he did, managing to score a single hit before giving up.

The idiot human put a hole in my wing, which I might have to make him pay for.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.

Kendra

Written below the above entry, with exaggerated care.

Following the nonsense of last night, it turns out there's a warrant for my arrest. One-thousand gold, and an hour in stocks.
I certainly don't plan to allow them to put me on display, like some exhibit, completely vulnerable.
It only takes one in a crowd, with a notion to do harm, and of the people who would come to see the half-daemon in the stocks, I imagine more than one would have such ideas.
I have no problem with the fine. Not that I can afford to pay it, but I can earn the gold, or borrow it.
Perhaps, I'll have to break a few more laws, until they replace the stocks with something more civil, like a night in a cell.

The night before this discovery, I conducted an experiment (likely the first of many), into the root problem of all of this.
I'd noticed previously that I could be quick to anger, since the incident with the rift. Although it was always relatively easy to keep a level of calm, or otherwise release it harmlessly.
I had a suspicion that the root problem may be related. Fighting an invasion would tend to make one angry, at the very least.
The format of the experiment was simply to cause anger, and have the effect observed. I'm sure my critics would feel some satisfaction at the apparent recklessness of the test, although I took all precautions to limit potential harm to anything, including myself (Footnote: Not that furious struggling against physical restraint left me completely unharmed).
I was able to learn a lot from the experiment.
It turned out that I was easier to anger than I'd anticipated, which wasn't entirely what I was looking for, but worth discovering in a controlled environment.
When angered, it predictably washed over me, like a wave. Like strong currents, I was drawn along almost helplessly, although the physical restraint was sufficient to limit me to most shouting.
Although, a small outburst with something similar to telekinesis, was rather unexpected (Footnote: My books and components were isolated, at the time. And, through restraint, I would have been unable to cast normally. It appeared innate, strikingly similar to the spellcasting abilities of daemons, and other magical creatures.).
Once the anger subsided, I was left clear-headed.
It was different, though. There was a clarity to my thoughts, and my perception no longer seemed hampered by my uncorrected vision (which was still unclear).
This will require further consultation, if not experimentation.

__________________
You unearth a large piece of blackrock!
You carefully place it in your backpack.
You see: a blackrock elemental
You are dead.