Seems as though my thoughts wandered quite a bit last entry. My apologies for any headaches or nausea induced by my last log.

 It has been about 2 days now since the so-called ''Holy Purge'' and it has left its mark on this town. No matter the amount of snow covering the piles of ash, or any other precipitation can erase what has now become Lockrifta's history.

 And as my memoirs have described, it even had an impact- only a momentary one- on my own sense. Even one as grand as I must admit to succumbing to the human side of me.

 Yet I've learned, that transparency, even in written form, seems to have a liberating effect on the ''soul''... As the Eastern Monks would say!

 Now, concerning the abrupt conclusion, throughout my philosophic musings, I had misjudged the sheer drop in temperature that winter eve, thus placing my writing utensils inadequately far from the sizzling logs of the campfire.

 Imagine my surprise when the tip of my quill suddenly met the dark layer of freshly frozen ink. Must have been an inadequate mixture. Of course, the town lowborn wretches would find a way to make ink defective!

 Not only did such an event disrupt my ponderings, but it also prohibited any further compositions. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement!

 This was a predicament any halfwit could find a solution for, much less Myself, yet by the time I had regained the possibility of further musings, the thought has already crept back into the corners of the subconscious mind. Lost, till further development!

 Onto other concerns, You might have noticed the rips in parchment in between the journal's pages. The missing pages, as I regret to inform You, are notes and illustrations of the scrolls I studied in my spare time.

 Now, You might be asking: ''But Sabinian, what wondrous mysteries have you uncovered, that such knowledge MUST be kept so hidden?''

 Even though I doubt you could comprehend the subjects explored within my notes, I must admit with an aching heart, that sometimes even the wise must commit mistakes as to not stagnate their mind.

 The evening before yestereve, a wind, almost as if blown by the long-extinct Frost Giants of the northern ice fields, took away my fire. The ferocity of the element prohibited me from igniting any of the commonly used kindling, thus I had to resort to more... Barbaric methods.

 For those who believe man to be beyond animal in any way besides intellectual, one should experience the cruelty of the winter wilds. All it takes is one gust of freezing air, for a man to devolve back to his primal instinct and commit sins shunned by his own conscience.

 As I write this, shame permeates my heart, as I hang my head in self-judgment. To think I would be pushed so far, as to break the Sacred Scholarly Code of ''Knowledge Preservation''...

 Of course, you might ask: ''Sabinian, why are You making this into such a big deal. You HAVE the scrolls. Just re-write your notes. You have enough parchment left.''

 To that, let me give You a thought exercise, what burns best, a journal of perhaps 2 years of age, or a century-old scroll?

 I now contemplate if such a confession within this biography was a good idea, as I would be excommunicated from any scholarly circles or research institutions if word spread of my misdeeds...

 The rare instance of my failure aside, now that I've los-Forfeited any literary information sources I have had on ''World Scars'', ''Astral Bodies'' and ''The Astral Realm'' itself, I might as well note down my own knowledge.

 However, if I describe it too accurately, You might just pop a blood vessel in Your brain, so I will present it in an educational manner. I believe it might be advantageous for both of us, as not only will it help us not waste ink on basic principles for any future discoveries, it could also help You somewhat keep up with my musings within these pages. For what is a scholar if not an Eternal Pupil!

 Also, do not fret, as back in the University I've been called an incredible private tutor. Especially by the female student body...

 So do pay attention now!

  To comprehend these concepts, a core idea must be understood!

 There exists a plane of existence impossible to be perceived by any regular means. It is what we call, ''The Astral Realm'' and Astralists, such as I, devote their lives to the exploration of this realm. You can look at it as a shadow of our tangible reality. Well, I suppose You can't ''look'' at it, but...

 I digress!

 Over the centuries many characteristics have been discovered concerning The Astral plane. It is shapeless, by our own understanding of the word, and holds within itself everything. So what is absolutely fascinating, is that everything which exists in our realm, exists in the Astral plane, but not all which exists in the Astral can be observed here. Which has brought upon a debate on which one is the ''original'', and which is truly the ''shadow''. Truly mindboggling, isn't it!

 Further on, the knowledge of such parallel existence has brought upon another discovery, or more accurately a concept- ''The Astral Body.''

 It is what one might call a ''Soul'' and is the basis of The Astral Arts. Everything and everyone has an Astral Body, which exists at the same time and even outlasts the physical body, serving as a direct link to this other realm. Theoretically, this link can be accessed by anyone at any time, however, realistically only a select few are able to access it, and usually, such a connection occurs either at death's door, or in the midst of a child's maturation process.

 Such a connection can manifest itself in countless ways, commonly described as a sudden surge of energy, supernatural ability phenomena, or a light at the end of a tunnel. This usually occurs due to the Astral body reaching a certain level of volume. We have dubbed this measurement- ''The Astral age.''

 And as a side note, I do realize that putting ''Astral'' in front of every word to make the terms cohesive is not the most creative naming system, but I didn't come up with these terms. I suspect the Astralists of Old had better things to worry about than poetics.

 Back to the topic at hand, as mentioned previously, the Astral age is a measurement of the Astral Bodies volume. We have learned, that, over time, the Astral bodies, same as ours, shift and grow, yet they do not wither and perish. This has proposed the theory of reincarnation, as the bodies grow parallel to our own maturity, and beyond.

 The importance of such a measurement has become paramount, as the volume of Your shapeless self directly reflects Your influence on the Astral plane. And with enough practice, strengthening Your conscious connection, one can bring forth that which is Astral into the physical. Be it an alchemical reaction, physical object, or pure force, the possibilities are theoretically endless.

 Almost like a painter, a Masterful Astralist can bring forth his vision to reality, given his other self is capable enough. Think of it as the birthright of Nobility, or a natural talent of an artist. Anyone's capable, yet simply a bad draw by Fate has deemed them unable.

 My own Astral Age is 436, and to grant You some perspective, the average age for the process of a natural connection is roughly 300. So I am Extremely talented!

 Some other effects of forming a good connection with your other self include but are not limited to: longer life expectancy, the ability to mend flesh wounds, a direct correlation with one's intellect, and increased libido for some reason... No one has complained though, as far as I know...

 One thing to keep in mind is that any intoxicant, be it alcohol, narcotics, or poison can disrupt and in some cases permanently erase the link to the Astral Realm. That is why you would rarely meet any Fun Astralists...  There are exceptions...

 That would about cover the basics, so now to get into the intriguing phenomena of a ''World Scar''.

 After the discovery of both, The Astral Plane and The Astral bodies, questions arose about their origins. Throughout these scholarly pursuits, a theory was proposed, stating that these parallel planes are not linear. They seem to resemble waves, fluctuating in frequency and size.

 These waves, most of the time, operate on the same wavelengths, yet never overlap, making them parallel. However, as these fluctuations occur, both waves cross, making these alternative dimensions collide. And this collision is what is considered a ''World Scar''.

 Such events bring with them very distinct characteristics and are not particularly hard to pinpoint. That is if one knows where and what to look for.

 A ''World Scar'' is almost a literal description of the consequence such an event brings, as the areas where a scar has appeared can be plagued by... Disasters, so to say.

 From The occasional forest fire to a ground-splitting shift of the earth's crust, and from a seemingly politics-based famine, to a civilization ravaging plague. This event brings upon itself misfortunes of unpredictable scale. Another thing to note, not all disasters are brought upon by a ''World Scar'', making them arbitrary.

 Yet, they do possess features, which distinguish them from a ''natural'' calamity. A common sign to look for is when the disasters happen under very odd circumstances. For example, an earthquake is only felt by a select few in the area, or a forest fire burning only a set path of trees. Perhaps a great storm occurs, yet lightning floats in the sky in the shape of orbs.

 Yet such consequence can also manifest as incredible prosperity. This mostly affects the harvest and cattle and influences people's health as well as their wealth. It is almost an indicator of a change in one's Fate.

 Yet this brings me to the most crucial reason why ''World Scars'' are so important. The ''birth'' of Astralists.

 Now, this is not a guarantee, yet it is speculated, that in the event of a collision happening near or within a populated area, the sudden contact of these plains increases the chance of a link by as much as 37%. Making ''World Scars'' to be the closest we could call as ''origins'' of the Astralists.

 But there is more! Even though, as important as an origin is, the main goal for seeking a ''World Scar'' are effects they have on an already established Astralist. As rare as ''World Scars'' occur, they stay open for an unspecified amount of time. During this time, whatever happens in the area persists, and so do effects on people. For the Astral art practitioners, such as myself, they have several effects, including, but not limited to increased Astral body expansion, firmer grasp of the Astral plane, prolonged and strengthened health and an enhancement for one's cognitive ability.

 Overall, it is an advantageous push towards Greatness for any self-respecting Astralist, and it is said that most of the Greats, alive or dead, have come across a ''World Scar'' in their prolonged lives. So it would only be NATURAL for me to eventually encounter one myself!

 And knowing this, I have no doubt, You now suffer alongside me, as winter has TAKEN away the only sources of information I had to locate potential collision areas. It is truly a time of unbearable grief...

 But do not weep, my foolish pupil, as my superior memory still retains several key steps in locating such collisions. And even though I do not possess the theoretical formulas which would increase my chances, I do have the techniques and context as to the means of locating them.

 ''World Scars'' have an odd way of striking in the same place, or vicinity of the previous area, several times. Problem is, the interval between the collisions is unspecified, but if the area has observed some devastating catastrophes. Say, with unnatural occurrences perhaps, or an increase in Astralists being ''born''. The possibility of the place being a collision spot, as slim as it may be, increases significantly.

 Another characteristic to look for is an unusual way society has built itself and prospered in the area. The theory stands, that we are naturally drawn towards places, that promise prosperity, without even being aware. In the same way, we are incredibly drawn to destroy such places with the threat of being destroyed instead. So one must look at an area a settlement has chosen to occupy, and read their history for any man-made annihilation that has plagued the same or perhaps a previously established settlement in the area. But even this is as vague as can get, so the chances are still quite unlikely.

 This brings me to the 3rd and the last method- intuition.

 Reacting to our environment is an instinctual part of our very being. Be it natural or Astral, our very essence seems to react to the potential of a collision of the two plains. Especially Astralists, as our very core is tied to such an event, and we are consciously aware of such forces coercing us towards them. Thus, all one must do is listen and follow, as irrational as it may seem.

 Because, if ''World Scars'' dictate the Fate of the Mighty, then all one must do is to fulfill his Destiny! Truly an irrational thought, for my kind...

 This is what could be considered a ''Bare Bones Overview'' of the basics. I do suggest rereading it a couple of times, for full comprehension.

 Now, onto the events of my adventures, as I have several things I wish to share!

  To begin, I assume You have already figured out from my previous entry, that not only has winter gripped the land for about a month now but also that the Inquisition has made itself a comfortable nest within Lord Heimerich's court. This has brought up another obstacle for me to overcome, as the most ''proactive'' religion on the continent is not famous for their fondness for Astralists. Or Sorcerers, as everyone calls us. It is quite the annoyance...

 After the execution the other day, they have made their stance clear, and their paladins are already roaming the streets as if it is their God-Given duty. I suppose it would be in their case.

 Concerning the ''Rescued'' maiden, her older sister- apparently- has escaped and vanished. They speculate she's either hiding in town or has run off into the nearby woods.

 Either way, she has no way to make it through the winter, as the knowledge I... She discovered, won't help her with frostbite or a sword's ''bite'' for that matter.

 Now I understand why the University does not share its knowledge with the common rabble.