I wrote this for one of my Eberron games which has since died but it generally got positive feedback so I’m gonna share it for others to read too. If you don’t like it, keep it to yourself. This is a positive vibe only post. 
For context, it was found in a crashed airship in what is essentially a magical-nuclear wasteland.
Summary
The journal of Captain Milly Ramos is still mostly intact, having been secured in a sealed drawer and wrapped in oiled paper. While it’s a bit more fragile than perhaps expected, it’s nevertheless in remarkably good condition. From a quick readover it starts in 987 YK. Much of the notations are simple records of travels or brief inventories – what was carried where and when, however as you approach the final entry on the Day of the Mourning, there is a shift in the tone.
OOC: Where there are gaps marked with square brackets ([…]), it is as if there was never any word there at all – a blank space, rather than something obscured by damage or scratched away.
13 Vult, 993 YK
It is with some trepidation that I accepted the job to […], not that I had much choice. When the House tells you to do something like this, it’s either you say yes, or you’re out, and after so long I can’t leave the Skygrasper even if I wanted to. It’s a long contract – three or four months all told of ferrying things back and forth. Lyrandar wants it quiet though, and most of what we’re carrying is just camouflage for the true packages. When I asked they wouldn’t tell me who the job was for – but I don’t think it’s a nation.
I got a letter from Sally before we left. Another birthday missed.
17 Vult, 993 YK
The package to […] woke up while we were carrying it. We lost three people putting it back to sleep. Valdak. Urisatra. Nitoth. We had to set down early so I could get details back from the House. Still waiting. Valdak had a kid two years younger than Sally. Urisatra had three sisters she was providing for. Nitoth…Nitoth just blew all his money on booze and anything with two legs that looked his way. The House won’t remember them, so I suppose I’ll have to.
Halfway down my third bottle. Might not wake up tomorrow.
18 Vult, 993 YK
Woke up.
[The rest of the page is empty of words, but simply crossed out. The penmanship is aggressive and messy]
21 Vult, 993 YK
Finally got word back from the House. “Continue with the mission.” Threw up out of anger, washed myself up and told the crew, but the look on their faces told me they knew anyway. This better be worth it.
23 Vult, 993 YK
Finally dropped off the package. […] was beautiful. Maybe after this war’s over I’ll just take short jobs in the borders, stop being away for weeks or months at a time. Actually spend some time with Sally and Mole.
Stupid dreams. You’re stuck here for life.
27 Vult, 993 YK
Khybersef today. Family will be tucking into roasted meats and potatoes and I’m flying past […] in north […] to pick up another package. It’s freezing and the Skygrasper has been pissy all morning about it. We’re taking an entire load of warforged parts from […] to […], just to conceal a book. Still, it’s safer than the last thing we carried for this contract. I’m going to push to get it done faster, see if we can make it back home for New Year.
1 Zarantyr, 994 YK
No chance of that. After dropping the parts and the book they immediately sent us east to Talenta to pick up a crate of animals that Vadalis toyed with, then we’re right back to […] for another dropoff. If we don’t get a break soon I worry the crew’s going to mutiny, and if they do, I’ll be right there with them. I’ll take excoriate and losing the ship over getting thrown overboard.
14 Zarantyr, 994 YK
Back home for the first time in months. Sally’s grown an inch and a half and twice that much on her hair. Mole won’t even look at me. It’ll be worth it. The letter from the House came with writs for enough coin to buy half a ship of my own. “For your discretion and exemplary service.” I keep this up and I can send them both to the best academies or take them to tour the world or whatever we want.
They won’t forgive me. I can’t forgive me. But I can give them this much.
17 Zarantyr, 994 YK
Home for three days and then back on the Skygrasper. “Home”. I barely stayed long enough to sleep.
Thirteen crates of Dragonshards on a rush order from Sharn, each to a different spot around […]. I’ve given up trying to guess what the point of all these orders are. The crew seemed remarkably relieved by this job – I guess they got big paydays same as me, and dropping off dragonshards is a safe job. At least it lets us tour […]. Even in the middle of winter, at this point in the war, it’s still got so much beauty.
I’ll treat the crew to a meal next time we land. We deserve it.
25 Zarantyr, 994 YK
House said this was the last job before our contract’s up. Told them I’m quitting once I’m done. A clean break. They want us to fly all the way to Stormreach to pick up some passengers and then bring them back to a dropoff in […]. It’ll be near a month of flying there and back, and half of that’s going to be over endless ocean, but at least we’ll be done.
The figure the House gave for this last job is insane – nevermind one ship, I could set up in the Principalities as a (minor) Prince if I cared to. We could live anywhere, as far away from the war and the House politics as we could get, with enough money to never care about the world again.
9 Olarune, 994 YK
[This entry has been torn out.]
13 Olarune, 994 YK
[This entry has been torn out.]
14 Olarune, 994 YK
[This entry has been torn out.]
15 Olarune, 994 YK
[This entry has been torn out.]
16 Olarune, 994 YK
[This entry has been torn out.]
20 Olarune, 994 YK
We made the delivery to […] today, and not soon enough. We burned hard to get it done as fast as possible. The crew wanted them gone. I wanted them gone, and it bumped up our wages another 20% for getting it done ahead of schedule.
I asked the crew what I should get for the kids now that I’m quitting, one of them suggested a pony, but I might just buy a stable of them instead.
I can’t wait for home to be home again.