Excerpts from the poorly coded journal of Thaddius Ret

Act 1 

2 of Swords: An aristocratic woman, what is she wearing? 

Roll: 2  You rush to examine, what do you damage? 

Acquisition

Able to resume preparations today. Not long after the ceremony, the attendants left. Dark came quick afterwards and I was able to keep my appointment, though in a rush. It seems the keepers of the yard were expecting trouble and they were out and about in tighter patrols. 

Still, able to resume business, though damage was sustained to the goods. Slight mishap while uncovering it and broke the handle on the right. The goods were packaged horrendously in the worst imaginable cloth. Tacky, flamboyant, and entirely inappropriate. 

I didn’t pay any heed to keeping the packaging when I unwrapped it in my lab. All of it will be burnt. Except for the handle, the goods remained intact for the rest of the journey. 

Act 2

Page of Clubs: Objects seem to move or appear where you did not place them

Roll: 2 You learn about the proudest achievements of the person you exhumed

Preparations

The damndest things! I cannot seem to remember where the b___y hell I have been placing all of my equipment! One moment I have the tools on my table and the next they seem to be all the way across the room! It feels as though I haven’t my head on straight. 

No matter, the tools to clean the goods have been placed and prepared for cleaning. I was able to remove all of the packaging from the goods with no trouble. I did find, upon a chain, a series of wedding bands each marked with a date, presumably the wedding, and secondary date, presumably the end of such marriage. There were 6 in total. including the one removed One can assume this is how the goods were maintained before they were preserved. 

Upon examination, it seems the goods were packaged with mere costume jewelry instead of other expensive finery. Perhaps the same could be said about the cloth. 

The bands seem to have been misplaced. The d__d things most likely fell and scattered across the floor, though I don’t remember hearing them strike against the ground. There isn’t time this evening to search for them, it must be done tomorrow. 

Act 3

Queen of Hearts: Uterus

Roll: 5, a new relation between organ systems

Dissection  Examination 

I was alone when I did my examination of the goods. I cannot trust any one else in the building or any of my other classmates. Such things are not for the general public to know either. Though it may be a relatively common practice to acquire such goods as these, and I know that several of my other classmates have done examinations such as mine, it is of no doubt that there are dissenters amongst us who would, in a heartbeat, turn any such person caught trying to further their knowledge to those of the law who would seek to deny knowledge of their fellow humans. 

I will continue to dictate what it is I find within the package thusly. 

I have found the cradle! A most marvelous instrument, connected together to new strings and a sac on each end. I shall detail what it is I can observe, though given the age of the package, I have doubts that such an instrument would remain the same in those of fewer years. 

Detailed below will be the parts of the instrument that I can remove and examine further.

[IMAGE REDACTED]

Act 4

Card: 8 of Diamonds, you publish a book on your findings

The Bounty

It has been some time since I have last written, and though I fear that this may still lead to consequences, I must conclude this journal by stating that I have published a book about my findings after examining the contents of several more packages. All of which had the same strings and sacs attached to their instruments, and I gave several decisive guesses as to their purpose and frequency in packages. 

I believe that my estimates are correct, but we shall see if the simple minded people are ready to accept the truth to my findings, and accept me as one of the greats. I have no doubt that there will be hesitation in acceptance, but I am prepared to fight against those odds. 

Act 5

Roll 2: You become an anatomist

Conclusion

It has been many long years since I have had the time or the patients to dictate my thoughts in this journal once more. Though I hardly think it necessary, preserving some semblance of a record is important for those in the future. 

The book was met with middling success, and as predicted, there were those who went completely against my theories and conclusions, but as I also predicted the dean at the university where I spent my formative years took notice of my work, and has granted me a position amongst the teaching staff. I have been appointed an anatomist! 

I now teach and instruct the students on the ways of the body, its parts, and its functions. I too have taken to turning a blind eye when the students acquire packages of their own, but I have made it clear to them that I will not tolerate any student of mine caught breaking the law, and will provide them with no protection, no matter how much they beg and plead. 

Such is the way. But there will always be ignored, rich ladies for whom we can grant immortality via knowledge.