Recorded by Scribe Merryweather in Merindaros year 970, 7th age.

Recategorized as the second scroll in year 973, 7th age. These events are made known from several scraps of journals and evidence found in the Wight Kings lair. These events take place sometime between the years 895 and 896 of the 7th age, and due to the descriptions are either in the fall or winter of those years.

The scroll details the events that transpired when the Oathsworn take up a job for Mr. Rasmussen. It is believed that the Oathsworn had been staying at the Silver Swan inn inside the city of Guyivein, the capital of Averyness during this time period. While there they were approached by a well-dressed man who made them an offer. Seek out the Black Crown and return it to him for a princely sum. Always looking for gold, the Oathsworn accepted.

They were to travel down the Ilsh-Leidenon, a large river that flowed south and eventually met with the river Ilsh-Nohmen. After stopping in a small town along the way, they needed to travel across the country to a small town by the name of Gruhlshten. This town was built as a small farming community and was the keepers of an ancient cemetery in the foothills, with the shadow of the mountains of Fu-Kyion looming over the town.

The adventure on the way to the town was fraught with danger. As they traversed the land, they became aware that they were being hunted from some creature in the sky. The party decided to try and give it the slip by traversing a small ravine. While in the shadow of the trees the party came across several cockatrice. The battle went well, easily dispatching the threat, but afterwards when Nikoneus was extracting the venom from the cockatrice he slipped up, cutting himself and turning himself into stone.

The remaining Oathsworn waited in a cave nearby as a storm passed overhead, for the venom only lasted 24 hours.

Travelling onwards and through the woods with the creature above them stalking them through the night, the Oathsworn continued their journey. In a second forest, much closer to Gruhlshten they camped. During that night a creature moved through the woods, stomping and screaming, when it burst into the firelight of their camp. It was a massive troll, covered in Sturgis. The troll bounced off a tree, took one swipe at Thokk, and stormed off into the woods. The Sturgis that had been clinging to the creature though began to swarm the party. It quickly became apparent that drinking the troll blood provided a small regeneration to the Sturgis, who were repeatedly knocked to the ground to heal and return to the fight. Finally, the Oathsworn prevailed and soaking wet and exhausted slept.

The next day would see them arrive at Gruhlshten. The village lay quite even though the party arrived at midday. No smoke could be seen coming from chimneys, no people or animals in the fields. The party investigated a small in only to discover the inhabitants gone from the village. Food was left out, rotting on the table and a thick layer of dust covered everything in the tavern. A small search of the nearby houses revealed the same to the Oathsworn, empty houses, yet no violence. No blood was spilt on oaken floors, no notches from sword or axe. It was as if the villagers all just…left.

The Oathsworn continued on into the cemetery and at the very center approached a mausoleum. It was said an ancient King was buried here, his treasure watched over by the village and protected by traps and watchers below. No one alive remembered the name of this King or why he was buried here, only that his crown was buried with him far below. The Oathsworn ventured forth into the tomb, making their way deep beneath the earth. What they discovered was an ancient tomb filled with magical traps. A floor that was weighted to drop them into a spike filled pit, a room that transformed people into stone, a room frozen and cold, requiring them to rush across in order to retrieve a crystal orb. On one walkway, they discovered a pit on either side, filled with the zombified remains of the villagers of Gruhlshten.

Finally, at the bottom, they discovered a Zombie Beholder guarding the entrance to the Kings Tomb. After defeating the wretched monstrosity, they entered the tomb, broke the seals, and took the Black Crown off the head of the ancient King. The Black Crown was made of pure black iron and had several strange markings engraved into it, but no magical essence was discovered.

The Oathsworn left the tomb and returned to Mr. Rasmussen with their prize. The crown was seen being delivered to a small manor house where the inhabitant was a known royal who liked antiquities.

Scribe Merryweather believes that this may be the origin of the Wight King. The Wight King was not known to operate in Valishdal until a year or two later and when the Greyslayers encountered him in the forests he was travelling with several zombies dressed like peasants. The descriptions are similar, but nonconclusive.

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