...the orcs struck without warning, and only by skill did I manage to escape. With no hope of returning to our temple, I hide in this empty camp and devise new methods of making stronger uniforms. Maybe one day our improved garb will save a Brother's life. The silk from the giant spiders has proven to be stronger and lighter than I had dreamed.
It requires but two silks to make a swatch, and one swatch is enough for any part of a raw silk uniform but the tunic and leggings.

Thinking of a way to improve the silk, I recalled the words of Master Tho many seasons ago. He waved a bottle of kiola in front of me and proclaimed, "This is both drink... and weapon. Raw silk has many desirable properties, Apprentice Wu, but when cured with kiola... there is no better battle uniform for a Brother of the Silent Fist..." I wonder now what other wisdom I would have learned if he had not fallen asleep.

Heeding his wisdom, I have tried mixing various amounts of kiola with the silk during the curing process and have found the results encouraging. The cured silk is much stronger and lighter than the raw silk, unfortunately sometimes it takes more silk to make cured armor than the raw armor.

Before the massacre by the orcs we had engaged in conversation with a traveling Enchantress by the name of Minlapus. Observing our techniques of silk tailoring, she offered to provide us with vials of thickened mana. By using a greater lightstone and the enchanting fluid she claimed we could make gauntlets capable of smiting creatures impervious to our bare hands. A side benefit is that the gauntlets would emit light, a boon in this dim forest known as Lesser Faydark.

On note I should make is the method by which the nearby centurions make whips. It appears that they carefully trap a wolf and use its pelt, curing it with kiola, with a whip pattern. A simple process, but one I had not seen until now.

Dawn approachs, so I must put my quill down and cover my lightstone. The orcs will be patrolling soon.