The papers are grouped into three bundles. The first part appears to be some adventurer's personal journal. The second part are lists and poems about a group of people. The third part has arcane instructions on how to work something called "transit spheres."

The papers appear to have been written in the past few years with black ink on parchment, using diagrams and text in the Common Tongue. They are grouped into three sets...

The first set is a rambling journal by an unknown author who sought sanctuary for a child named either Maura or Moniver. The author claims to have suffered some misadventure along with (or caused by) four others: Willow of the Black Blade, Brithel of the Vale Technocracy, Sariel of Toril, and an elemental descendant of Eldrell Yeni Surinen.

The author also writes about researching "The Dooms" after the murder of magus Harland Payne and the awakening of the great vampire worm, the fall of a place called Elsehaven, the death of magic on the world of Adeus, opening the "Vault of the Progenitors" on the world of Ocdae, and creating a deity through a time paradox - each apparently a different kind of world-changing apocalypse involving the balance between Law and Chaos.

The final note mentions dungeon explorers looking for a place called the Afterwhiles of Otherwhere following the assassination of its heir apparent royals.

The second set of papers appears to be poetry (or prophesy?), along with research into a lineage of mysterious providence:

Within all thoughts and silver void
creation's forgotten mote hides a guide;
Across many ages, to doom avoid,
seize wonders where destinies collide.

Cast well, cast wise, for natures near,
be evil or lucky or good,
be chaos or dreams or trickery,
make your wish understood.

Count them once, count them twice,
and again, three three three;
By childrens' blood, at creation cast,
the universe reborn shall be.

Aethon, son of air
Annira, daughter of sun
Asera , daughter of healing
Balir, son of animals
Bellavel , daughter of travel
Calarith, daughter of trickery
Dardan, daughter of water
Devina , daughter of luck
Esus, son of chaos
Fanar, son of death
Ganiel, daughter of music
Gisin, son of destruction
Helgeth, daughter of shadows
Hemir, son of evil
Kawina, daughter of dreams
Lahan, son of good
Loifur, son of fire
Moniver, daughter of mechanics
Ralad, son of strength
Runnigan, son of earth
Sawen, son of law
Tolf, son of knowledge
Vala, daughter of war
Varan, son of plants
Wora, son of magic
Zaha, son of protection
Zoi, child of madness

The third set of papers describe "transit spheres," floating black globes of variable size (5 to 20 feet in diameter), each surrounded by a nimbus of blue light. The text refers to these spheres as "holes left over by those who built creation" and "backdoors between space-time realities."

By quickly expending magical energy (read: use a spell slot) or performing a short ritual (read: a 10-minute Intelligence (Arcana) check), the sphere may be "awakened" as either a teleportation circle or planar gate to another transit sphere - and possibly used as a means of time travel should one know how.

However, working the necessary eldritch methods is not easy, requiring components called "portal keys." Even when successful, such travel can be risky - either harming travelers due to poor activation or connecting to dangerous destinations. Once a sphere awakening has been started, the DM will note what portal keys are needed. Missing keys cause travelers to suffer force damage.