The Journal of Mhirriah

The Words of A Goddess

The Mhirrian Diaspora was a mass exodus that immediately followed the cataclysmic end of Ozlith. The journal of Mhirriah, who would ascend to godhood details her journey.
After a massive battle, referred to as The Battle of God's Grave, where Centurion Legions fought alongside their gods to buy time for the refugees.

The god's assured the empress, that if she did as directed, she would ascend and her people would live on for eons to come, and she wrote of her labors, as they decreed. Most of the text is in disrepair. It is worn and some of the pages are missing or burnt.

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Tribulation

When the journey began the empress and her people failed to realize just how difficult of a task it was to travel north. When they passed the border of the Ozolithian Empire, they entered unfamiliar territory. They found it difficult to find food and water but, with the help of the Ozolithian Pathfinders, they were able to secure a surplus that could help them last.

Page 6

(missing pages 3-5)

... We found out in the first week. My condition became known to us and it was getting worse. It began with vomiting, fatigue, and the aforementioned pain. I refuse to wear my armor because of it. The Tyrants personally carried a litter they made for me. With such little time to prepare, it's a nice sentiment.
We make due, hunting for food and water as we can. At first it was easy, and we even managed to store more food than needed for the winter to come. We find ourselves in unfamiliar territory, however, and are unaware of the migratory patterns kept to by local game. We don't know what's safe to eat among the local flora... I'm surprised that this is the moment I feel the sting of defeat...

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The Forests of Girm

When they reached the forests of Girm, they encountered a hostile environment with very little to offer in the way of food and shelter. The wildlife created an unstable ecosystem. Herbivores were so scarce that all creatures evolved to be predators and prey. the flora evolved to be just as deadly, some being so toxic that Wardens died just by testing it, rubbing the juice on their skin.
This is also the first time that they encountered Embersheen, all of which heavily discouraged settling of the area.

The Taming of Girm

Embersheen set the forest ablaze and woke many from their slumber. The creatures and the refugees all rushed to escape the creeping flames.
At first, this created a problem. The displaced predators followed the Ozlithian refugees for some time, picking off stragglers as the opportunity arise, but Mhirriah had an idea. In the coming weeks, she would offer the preserved meat from the surplus to many of these creatures, and even began training them. This led to the beast taming traditions in the The Highlands of Mhirriah. Most of the strange wildlife in The Provinces of Mhirriah came from the forests of Girm.

A Death in the Family

The forests of Girm burned to the ground in the Embersheen. Shortly after, Mhirriah breaks away from her more informative writing to lament the fall of a dear friend. Finnich (Fin-itch) was found dead in the river they followed out of the forest, hours after failing to return. He had been forcibly drowned with signs of struggle around his neck and the bruises on his body.
It was later confirmed that his killer was a scout that Mhirriah personally saw to killing. His writing is seen in the journal with notes in the margins on how Mhirriah was far too tired or in far too much pain to write, and instead used him as her hand.
For the first time in the text, Mhirriah speaks of her spear, Xerisp (Share-isp), a holy weapon and gift from her gods. It isn't clear who Mhirriah is referring to in the passages on page 87. The promised land was near, and they met no one new on the journey, nor discovered any strange species that it could refer to.

Page 54

... I was sick, in pain, and doing everything I could to push through for my people. This was not what we were promised. This wretched forest and its fiendish beasts. Everywhere we search in this land of Girm we find things almost designed for the purpose of killing humans. Why add insult to injury? We creatures are already so frail. I'm reminded of this fact every day. This... parasite feeds on everything I am. They said I'd get used to it, maybe come to love it. I doubt this very much. I'm losing my resolve. My people look to me and the weight of already heavy hearts are more of a burden then what ails me from within. Finnich was nowhere to be found, he could help me. I sent for him hours ago...

Page 87

(page 78-86 missing, 87 is stained with ink and blood)

We found Finnich dead in the river beaten, drowned, and bloated. The aquatic life were pecking at his remains. I'll never get the image out of my head. He was too young. If I didn't know better i'd curse my gods. Their sacrifice be damned. I suffer a fate worse than the death they spared me. How can I do what must be done without his hand to hold? The light in me has died, and it seems that Xerisp knows it. The radiance from the spearhead is gone, and I doubt it will ever return so long as wrongs are not put right. That will be her greatest burden, it seems. What cruelty my gods have. I only have a few weeks left. First ██████ and now Finnich. Above all else, I am sad neither will get to meet her.

Embersheen

Embersheen is a metamorphic change that occurs due to an unusually high diffusion of arcane energy into the surrounding area. This energy is absorbed and changes the land, becoming inert, but still radiates a trace amount of the same energy that stems from The Infernum.

Scorched Earth

This lead many to believe the goal of The Infernum was to transform the world into a spitting image of itself. This conclusion was reinforced by accounts of demonic beings spreading the Embersheen with their own blood

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Mhirriah's Condition

It is not known, even by The Church of Mhirriah, what ailments the Empress suffered. The journals feature plenty of passages that list her symptoms. Some scholars claim it was a Lictifuge, a small parasite that caused fatigue, nausea, weight gain, tenderness in the skin, particularly around the breasts. The only piece of armor she refused to put on for the battle of the Stilsted Plains was her breastplate due to "agonizing pain that shot through the entire body."

Diagnosis

This supports the diagnosis, but many are skeptical. At the time, this parasite had yet to be discovered. It also falls in line with many other well known parasites in Ozlith, but none cause the set of symptoms on their own. Others claim she was afflicted with an unknown disease or infection. The mystery persists to this day as all these theories and more are equally likely.