As one from another City-State will likely ask me to fight them one on one, or boast about slaughtering Hashani guards as to add brevity to their boisterousness. One needn't prove themselves when they have the means to do greater things beyond the weapons they wield. Though I would be remiss if I did not get some joy in the willingness to raise my weapons against a greater foe, to revel in the blood spraying forth from my own arteries when bested. This is not one of those tales.

With you...my dear Constable Beck being so insistent on my paying for my words against Gorshire.

I saw fit to retrieve your deputy constables, your sentries, your military force (if you could actually call it that, but I suppose you can put a badge on anything and call it an enforcer, look at the Aegeans), and furthermore remove any future from your quaint village, beginning with your peoples children. 'lo I am certain you all have heard the atrocities of me claiming one child adventurer's life, so in the spirit of the baked goods, I gathered me a bakers dozen and tossed them in a basket like baked goods before heading into our lovely laboratory and examining each cadaver with love and care.

What discoveries were to be had one might ask?

Well, the Gnomish folk are certainly below standard intelligence, though I will add some notes below, as to not spoil the joy for others who may seek a similar result.

-[a carefully edited notation of study is placed below for perusal]-

Utilising a series of clamps, I positioned the subject to the table and began carefully grafting from the flesh, it is noted, "Light bruising remains on one of the feet, as well as advanced wear to the metatarsals and phalanges highlight significant time spent on foot, either walking or chasing something."

Utilising a series of fine needles to create punctures in the corpse of a gnome child, before producing a glass syringe and withdrawing additional fluids, which were carefully compared to one of our charts, "Fluid sampling and evaluation of posthumous nerve function reveal significant combat alacrity and below average non-combat alacrity. Interesting."

I did have to make a few lengthy cuts, splaying some organs, though with several additional incisions, examining muscle and organ, "Organ health is poor given the state of the subject. Muscle wear appears to be advanced. Internal structure highlights that the subject, the corpse of a gnome constable, possessed unremarkable strength while alive."

Peeling away membranous tissue from the head of the corpse of a gnome child one then injects a syringe of dye into the brain. Within moments, a single section of the cerebral organ transforms to a rich shade of red, "Red tissue indicates evidence of higher brain function, the small size of the affected surface area here would suggest that the corpse of a gnome child possessed only average intelligence at best."

- - - - [The paper is shredded beyond here, further notes removed] - - - -

Let me just say, the study continues....

Great discoveries have been made, in fact, Eleusis gets to experience some of the results of the most recent studies, as some of you may have found out earlier, Gnomes make a wonderful catalyst when afforded proper chemical formulation, perhaps those stones might give you more information, though I suspect you might have to ask your dear friend Toby about those secrets I discovered, or convince him for some of his blood. (Dear, I may have said too much.)

The forest withers slowly, starting with the roots. Time ticks...

Acting of his own volition,

Gurklukke Vorondil-Al'Jafri

Penned by my hand on the 5th of Glacian, in the year 866 AF.