Burnt diary

The burnt diary is a book that acts as a quest item in the Royal Trouble quest. The title of the book (visible when reading it) may variably be Charred diary, Armod's Charred Diary, or Armod's Burnt Diary. It seems to change as the quest progresses, though the item name remains the same.

Players find the pages of the book in the remains of fires in the tunnels beneath Miscellania and Etceteria during the quest. Players put them together to make this book. The item's examine text also seems to change to reflect how many of the five pages the player has found so far.

The diary reveals that Armod and his friends have been causing all the trouble between the two kingdoms. He and his friends intended to cause a war, and then act as peacemakers in reconciling them. This is because they do not want to do The Fremennik Trials.

Afterwards, this book can also be found on the book shelves in a house.

Transcript
Property of Armod Brundtson

Read at your peril!

If you steal this book, my dad will beat you up!

Year 3 of trials, day 20

We’re doing really badly at the trials. Beigarth broke his lyre for the fifth time, Hild got lost in the maze again, and Reinn and Signy were both sick all over Manni. When are we going to finish these trials and become adults? My father keeps telling me to improve, saying that I should try harder to become a proper Fremennik adult.

Year 4 of trials, day 144

The trials aren’t going well. I broke my arm while fighting a cow, and Beigarth almost fell into the furnace. Luckily, my father saved him and Signy from spilling molten iron all over the adults. Askeladden’s already become an adult and keeps making fun of us. He really annoys me.

Year 5 of trials, day 78

It’s not fair! Father said that me and my friends may never pass our trials. They don’t want us helping other people with their trials, either. And now he says we have to leave Rellekka! How can they exile us?

Year 5 of trials, day 89

Signy said she heard about two island kingdoms that had been at war for hundreds of years. If we go there and make peace, will my father finally agree that we’re true Fremennik adults?

Year 5 of trials, day 93

Life’s not fair! We got to the island kingdoms and they said that an adventurer had recently made peace, by promising to marry the daughter/son of the king! Why does this always happen to us? If we’d just been a little earlier, I could have married the king’s daughter.

Year 5 of trials, day 95

Beigarth says that just because they’re at peace now doesn’t mean they always will be. He says he has a plan.

Year 5 of trials, day 95

Beigarth’s plan is great! Now all we have to do is find the right armour, and a place in one of the caves. Father’s going to be so impressed with me…

Year 5 of trials, day 98

The plan’s worked! The kingdoms are at war again, and no-one knows we were those soldiers. All we need to do is make peace, and the council at home will be so impressed that they’ll make us adults right away!

Year 5 of trials, day 99

Why did it go so wrong? We were just about to get the goods back, but there are MONSTERS in there! I’m not going anywhere near that giant snake, and I think the others agree with me.

We’re cold and hungry and can’t go back to the town, because we got drunk in the inn and then couldn’t pay. It’s so bad that we’ve had to burn bits of my diary to keep warm.

Someone, please help us…