Jorokk's Journal

There's quite a lot covered in the journal, so I've made a point to narrow down the passages of interest.

I, Jorokk the Flame, have started this journal in the hopes that no creature other than myself will ever lay eyes upon it. Within these pages are passages detailing private studies and observations that could be dangerous in the wrong hands. The knowledge I pursue is unethical, and though I plan to twist it into something used for the greater good, I concede that I am a fool for attempting such a thing.

This is where Jorokk first mentions The Beyond by name, as well as the silver sphere we found.

The Celestial Cascade   and Wild Magic are both results of a power known now as The Beyond. What I've learned of this power is equally fascinating and terrifying.
I will admit that my interest in The Beyond was only passing, at first. The real spark came to me in the form of a small, silver sphere. I came across this unassuming item in one of those pawn shops that claim to carry magic items that a standard store would overlook. I often go there to make sure the shopkeeper isn't trying to cheat some poor fools out of their money by casting detect magic and doing a once-over through the aisles. Sure enough, I didn't see anything glow when I looked at this small, silver sphere on a pedestal.
I took it up to the shopkeeper to ask what kind of item this was, and he quickly responded by saying, "couldn't detect any magic on it, eh? Neither can anyone, spell, item, or otherwise." This was an unusual response, so I inquired further, asking about the previous owners and how they found out the item's properties. He told me that the previous owner was some mumbling stranger who kept their face hidden, though he'd guess they were an elf or at least half-elf. They never mentioned anything about the properties, but the owner and the object itself seemed odd enough to warrant an identification.
Supposedly the wizard this shopkeeper went to for the identify spell immediately snatched the sphere and ran after they finished ritual. With a call of the guards, the wizard was quickly apprehended, but he never stopped trying to get free. After a minute of struggling, one of the guards knocked him unconscious and brought the silver sphere back to the shopkeeper. He's still not sure what the item does, but if it was enough to make a wizard try to run off with it in broad daylight, he figures it must be pretty valuable. Sure enough, I impulsively bought the damn thing right then and there. Forgive me, Egni; even if you find and decode this journal, I will take the knowledge of that price tag to my grave.
Even at this point, I suspected there was something more to this sphere than some sort of anti-divination magic. In attempt to play it safe, I brought in a few of my peers from The Arcana Guild to assist in my research. Mundane methods of identification proved fruitless, and we didn't want to risk damaging it, so our experiments were limited to an exceptionally small list of spells. Finally, we decided to try identify. The moment I finished casting the spell, I blacked out. The next thing I remember was waking up to my friend looking down at me. I was on the floor, and my head was throbbing. Supposedly, I did the exact same thing that the wizard did; I tried to escape with the sphere. While I don't remember the exact details, I do feel like something was trying to enter my mind the moment I finished casting the spell, and I suppose it succeeded.

This entry continues into a passage regarding Wild Fever, as first mentioned in the paragraph below.

With that, I decided the sphere was too dangerous to keep, but I also didn't want to get rid of it. If there was any chance that this item could tie into my research on The Beyond and this "Wild Fever," as Arzok calls it, then I have to take that risk. My peers agreed with me on this, being like-minded individuals who shared an interest in this taboo subject. We spent the rest of the night discussing The Beyond; what we knew, what we don't know, and all of the theories that spawned from it. They've been a massive help in developing the spell I plan to use as a cure to Wild Fever, but for a myriad of reasons, they've opted to go uncredited and unnamed, even in my private writings. It's understandable, considering this subject's dangerous nature. Yet, we cannot help ourselves; it is simply too fascinating.
Chaos, Order, and Balance. Though we know little of The Beyond, my peers within the guild agree that these are all key aspects of that power. For every push in one direction, there is a pull in the other. All things must eventually come to stillness, even the universe itself. A change made in one regard requires a change of equal severity in another. That concept is simple enough to grasp. Yet, the most infuriating part is the aspect tied to its very name. This power is beyond magic, mortals, and the gods themselves. How can I counteract a chaotic element of The Beyond without using a stable element of that same power? Simply put: I cannot, and that fact haunts me to this moment. To research The Beyond is taboo; to wield it, a grievous sin.

After a few days of relatively mundane entries, I came across this passage mentioning Shoma and the hags.

Vaauna came to us with some very interesting information today. Supposedly, Shoma described Wild Fever as a "hag's disease" during their encounter in The Forest of Ghosts. It turns out ol' Shroom contracted the disease from a hag that ran into her on the outskirts of the city quite a while back. Her accelerated dementia suddenly makes much more sense; it would be reasonable to assume it was her unique reaction to Wild Fever. Shoma… I'll make sure your life wasn't taken in vain. Before this damnable disease is able to sink its claws into my mind and body, I'll find a way to expel it from this world; I swear it.

It looks like he was meeting up with the hags after all. This entry is from only about one week later.

I've been meeting up with a coven of hags near breaker river every night. I caught a glimpse of one staring into the window of The Flaming Nettle a few nights ago and followed it into the outskirts. After she joined up with her sisters, I thought I was done for, but... they just whispered to each other for a while. Then, they spoke up.
"You are the one who seeks to destroy that which blight us, yes?"
After hearing that, we got to talking. Turns out this coven may be the last piece of the puzzle. They may be the key to finding the cure.
Despite that, I… can't believe what I'm doing. I know I should be suspicious; that I shouldn't be so hasty. Even with all of the evidence suggesting I should have plenty of time before the disease affects me in full, I feel so… pressured. Something about the thought of Egni or Vaauna suffering because of my failures… I can't stand it. No matter what the cost, I need to start taking bigger risks, even if that means consorting with those vile abominations.
Thankfully, it looks like this coven is about as desperate as I am. The whole group appears to be infected with the disease, and from what it sounds like, they've been dealing with it for over a decade. To have a strain of Wild Fever that old would mean they've likely encountered patient zero, but now I fear my hope of finding a sample from the source may be impossible; it's hard to imagine they're still alive, assuming the disease continues to worsen at the rate I've observed in these hags. Regardless, the samples the coven could provide would be invaluable in my research. The problem is getting it from them.
I've asked for blood and tissue samples, but as you might expect, they've made a point to turn what should be a simple exchange into a complicated haggle. If there's one thing I've always lived by, it's "never make deals with hags." I'm desperate, but I know better than to think I'd get what I want out of a deal with them. If they're not satisfied with the concept of a possible cure in exchange for their compliance, then so be it. I'll find someone in their coven who's willing to offer a sample with no strings attached. Surely there has to be at least one hag who's still retained some form of sense and decency. If not… then diplomacy may no longer be an option.

This is the final entry Jorokk wrote. I fear he may be in more trouble than we realized.

They're becoming impatient. I keep hearing their fingers tapping at the window of my study. They're calling for me to make a deal, but I've remained stalwart. I can't let them know where I live. I haven't slept in my own bed in days, and I'm starting to think Egni suspects something. I'm running out of time and options.
I don't know what to do.