Change log 1 - added content breaks that were removed by auto-formatting. Still getting used to the site again.
Change log 2 - minor edits; changed gear; fixed a consistency error or two; slightly reworked the narritive style - maintaining the 'journal' delivery, but I went a little bit too informal and slapdash originally; removed footnote.

Day 1
Transport wrecked. Location unknown, last referenced geo-marker = 36.569640, -85.670265 | heading ~120 | speed 90 knots.
Current location unknown; thick forest - almost no sky visibility. Reference for checking accuracy of compass impossible. Priority: find suitable long-term shelter. Secondary: establish reconnaissance of immediately surrounding area.

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I found easy-peasy permanent shelter in form of an old castle (pos. ~500m N/NW from crash site). To my knowledge, there weren't any structures of this description in the area of operations, or even along the way in transit. Also, plant identification has been difficult. This leads me to believe we're nowhere near where we should have been. Maybe the pilot went off-course? No way we could have gone this far away from anything I recognize, though. And we hit all the waypoints; Bad Cat is too good to just miss grids and fly off god knows where.
To be fully honest, I'm somewhat ashamed of the spot of panic that set in after the crash. I'll chalk it up to a rattled head post-impact. Sure, things aren't as I would expect them to be, and I can't figure where I might be, but that's no excuse and panic didn't help anything. I spun around in half circles for probably almost an hour - didn't even check time of impact, so I can't be sure. Just kept coming back around, and the wreck kept coming back into view...
Oh well. Nothing for it but to move on.
Quick stock of the overall situation:
Location - Castle
Vitals - Seemingly normal. Heart-rate no longer elevated, breathing normal, no substantial injuries detected.
Enemy situation - Unknown, but no sight or sign.
Friendly situation - Ditto.
Weather - unknown, heavy forest canopy obstructing view of sky. Moderately chilly, probably around 50 degrees or so, humid.
Time - 20:16
Supply - (1) hunting rifle, (50) cartridges - 30-06, (1) flare gun + holster, (3) flares [red], (1) binoculars (4x w/ ranging stadia, 315 ft at 1,000 yd FOV), (1) entrenchment tool, (1) razorblade/boxcutter w/ pack spare blades, (1) small forest axe, (1) lighter, (1) compass, (2) canteens, (9) days compressed rations (estimated), (1) each - empty logbook and observation sketchpad, (4) pencils [No. 2, the nice black ones], (1) tarp, (1) cammo net, (1) wool blanket, (10) 20' lengths paracord, (1) roll No. 36 bank line, (1) ALICE pack, (1) full change clothes, (2) additional pairs socks, (1) potentially completely useless map... [on body] (1) overcoat, (2) knee pads, (1) pair boots, (1) scarf, (1) watch.

... Not sure who I think I'm writing this for. I guess it's just a good habit to have. Keep things semi-normal. May have missed an item or two, oh well. Oh yeah, (1) the shit I normally wear.

Fuck it, nobody who cares is gonna read this: Addendum to the above - (1) bottle schnapps, mint.

Day 2
It was an uneasy night of sleep, what with the new area and unknown situation. Didn't have much time for making a *comfortable* camp, so I decided to make do with an uncomfortable one. Bad call, definitely will be remedied today. The castle's stone floor is cold as a witch's tit - raised bed is a must. Setting out for initial survey soon, and I'll see about gathering some material for the camp along the way.

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The initial survey went well, but raised more questions than it answered. Fairly nearby (200m?) NW, a gorge drops off into misty nothingness with just a decrepit rope bridge crossing it. Did NOT chance that bridge, so I followed the ravine Westward, along the rough, rock-rimmed edge. As I went, I kept on the lookout for easy identifiable plants, but couldn't nail anything down except a few varieties of trees, some generic ferns, and a balckberry bush or two. Most underbrush seems foreign. Strange thing about the gorge: it just sorta ends. No fade up, no slope, just ends on a sheer rock face near a river running almost exactly North/South.
Followed the river North a ways (easily a 1/2 mile, may have been more though) and the forest cover over the river ends, but the trees stretch out over both banks for maybe another 1/2 - 1/3 of a mile. Thought I saw a few indications of a town, so I climbed a ways up a tree and confirmed - 1 small/mid-sized town in the distance. Maybe a mile or so out. Not about to commit to a full scout of that yet, though; I'll need to get acquainted with the area a bit better before I venture that. Where I'm coming from is that all I have to go on is that the plane went down hard, and this town just happens to be right near where that happened. Not a friendly sorta of correlation. No guarantees of hostilities, but at the same time I'm not about to reach out and hope for a firm handshake and a pint of beer.

Return trip took 1 hr 13 min at a cautious walk with day-scout load.
With the lack of easy identifiable forage on the scout (cranked out a few quick botanical diagrams, though - pg 1 of sketchpad), I'm fuckin starving - gruel and dried meat w/ water is the order of the day. Goody goody. Will make camp improvements after.

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Camp is mostly set up. Was able to utilize a lot of material from inside the castle - which was a relief, considering the work, bother, and noise gathering all the materials from the forest would have been; besides, I figure anything I can do to minimize outside signs and indications of presence is a good call at the moment. A raised bed was constructed with just one large tripod set about six feet away from the wall with side rails supported by a stone ledge, and I used tattered... tapestries? banners? stretched between the rails as bed material. So I didn't even have to sacrifice the blanket or tarp for the bed, which is nice. Stoked a fire from the embers of earlier, which provides nice convection heat in my little out-of-the-way corner. Should be less frigid than I was yesterday. Overall, outlook is much better, even if I still don't have any clue where I am or why.
Answers will come. Even if they're bad answers.
Scout to the South on the docket for tomorrow. Day 2 done, Johnny Guy out.

Day 3

Much more satisfying sleep last night. Even treating myself to a compressed oat bar this morning. Goody goody. Note: night-time draft blew ash/embers around a bit last night - could be hazardous if that catches a smouldering log and brings it back up to flame. Would *not* be a good wake-up call, and could also alert someone if they should happen by. I picked the most out-of-the-way area I could find, but there's no bearing on potential other occupants. Any sort of vagrant could take up camp, or patrol happen by. If a derelict building is good enough for me, it's good enough for anybody else who's tired and wants some shelter.

Not looking forward to the South/East scout... but it has to be done.

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Well, nothing much noteworthy but empty, dense, dark forest that way. Thought I saw a hut at one point, near the northern boundary of my route and far east. Did a quick sketch for reference (sketch pg 2), just on the off-chance it proves useful later.

... The crash site is just as depressing as I thought it would be, as I remembered it. Nothing left to salvage, I got all that I could and got out before the fire could get to me. Bad Cat was dead on landing, or close to it. A branch snapped off hard as fuck when we broke canopy, and a big ol' chuck speared him in place at the helm... Even his skeleton looked pained, bent and fire-blackened as it was... I hate it when I have to go back and look at the dead a second time...

Well. Goodnight, sweet prince.

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Sorted out the issue with the draft. Pulled a few stone blocks over to block off the entrance-side of the camp, butted right up against the raised bed. It'll reduce convection, but I'll take the L on that for safety's sake. It was a little toasty yesterday, anyway.

Treated myself to an extra bit of the Good Stuff this evening. Call it one for me, one for Bad Cat. So much for the easiest transit ever, old boy... Straight shot over friendly territory my ass.

Spell Journal #4, Pg. 283 - Day 127 of Summoning Experiments; 3 Days after last attempt.

I still have no idea what went wrong. I've checked and re-checked every variable in the spell, and there's nothing wrong with my current calculations. That leaves me with just two options for what's not working:
Option one) Everything we currently know about the theory of how external teleportation (tele-other, colloquially) is wrong, and is limited to the scope of not only the material world, but - moreover, concretely at least - to line of sight only (as no experiments or demonstrations have reliably shown otherwise. There's always been the nay-Sayer's fallback of 'it's not teleportation, that's just conjuration'); or
Option two) Everything we currently know about the theory of the material and immaterial worlds is, if not wrong, certainly misleading or misunderstood.

Granted, neither option is good... Clearly, this will require much more extensive thought and proofing than I originally anticipated.

This challenge, while daunting, is certainly exciting - it's been a while since I've been so thoroughly stumped (on a matter not friendship-related, but rather scientific), and it leaves a certain tingly feeling, it would be dishonest to deny. So many theorems to re-examine, so much research to be done! I'm confident that an answer will present itself sometime.

As much as I would like to further advance this line of thought immediately, Spike went to sleep more than ten minutes ago, and it would be rude to wake him. It is late, though, and I'm sure my friends would advise me to go to sleep soon, too, considering it's currently... oh, 4:23:37... Spike went to sleep nearly 6 hours and 12 minutes ago... Technically still more than ten minutes, but that is rather disheartening.

Yes, when I've lost that much track of time, it is most definitely time to retire for the night. All notes are appropriately taken and in place to pick up on the morrow. Or, well, technically later today.

To be continued, but for now - Twilight out.