A Long Walk Back and a Nap
It might just be the combination of a long week and the fact I'm backtracking, but I suddenly find my eyes are very heavy. Rather than just walking and writing, it seems like a bit of mental engagement is required.
I know this has been an issue in the past with me particularly going back over games that I've played before - once they start to feel cozy and I have the time to enjoy them, it feels like my body is just craving that feeling of calm and relaxation, and I start to lose the ability to stay awake.
This might be something of the source of my frustration with not being able to engage with media in my down time. I need to a degree to get past that phase of just exhaustion to then engage with it openly, unless it's really commanding my attention. The wander back out of a reasonably safe dungeon just isn't giving that these days.
Anyway, back on the world map, and we head back towards Melmond to see if anyone knows what to do with this Ruby. I suspect based on what he was saying that taking out the Vampire won't solve everything yet.
Reaching Melmond confirms this, the first guy I bump into literally asking "The vampire is dead, yet the earth is still decaying. What's going on?". I decide we need to head further west - a man in town reminds us about the wise man, Sadda, so surely he'll know what to do!