GrizzlysGhost
Elder
Found as drops throughout the world, Research Notes can provide valuable and interesting insight into the history of the many creatures and places around you. And when all pages have been added to a Lore Book, you are awarded with a Legendary Treasure Map (Level 8), and possible future prizes! Here's how:
Deciphering Research Notes can be considered "End Game Content," as you will need GM Skill (100) in Cartography, Detect Hidden and Item ID. All of them! I suppose it could be accomplished by several characters, each with their own GM'd skill... but that would take a lot of coordination and might not be worth the aggravation.
With Grand Mastery of all three skills, you can proceed to decipher the page. This is done by selecting the correct sequence of required skills. For example, this page required "three clicks" on Cartography, and "two clicks" on Item ID. But the combo can be any 5 of the three. Perhaps 3 Cartography, 1 Detect Hidden, and 1 Item ID. The choices you make do have an impact on the text of the page: when your selected skill is at or below the required number, the text will jumble into a MORE readable version. If you've clicked on a skill too many times for this particular note, the text will jumble into a LESS readable version. To be honest, I didn't pay much attention to what the text was doing (sorry Luthius!), I just sequentially went through my three skills until the page was deciphered.
These deciphered Lore Pages will eventually need to be added to a Lore Book, which can only be Crafted by an Elder Scribe (110 Inscription).
Adding a Lore Page to your Lore Book can be done one of two ways. By clicking the gem and selecting the page, or by simply dragging your page onto your book. Only one of each page can be added to the book, so save your extra pages for a new book, or help someone else complete theirs! Once you've added the First Page into your book, it will become a Specific lore book to that history; in this case, Creatures of Aegis Keep. You will only be able to add other pages to this particular book that are related to that particular lore, so expect to be working on several books at once.
Once you have collected and added ALL pages for that particular subject (between 10 and 15 pages, depending), you will receive a Legendary Treasure Map (and potentially other goodies to be added later... fingers crossed). It's hard to make out in this .gif, but you may notice the map appearing in the upper left of my backpack as soon as I drop the last page into my book.
And, while the completed Lore Book might be "reward enough," I won't be complaining about a Level 8 TMap! Ever!
And there you have it; Research Notes in a Nutshell! Much of the information I learned from the 7-25-18 Patch Notes HERE, while some of it I had to learn through trial and error. Regardless, it was a great adventure finding and collecting the notes, breaking shit when I kept getting repeat notes (not really), and the excitement of finding the Final Page!
On a final note, I DO NOT want it to go unsaid: The Lore is SUPERBLY written; mysterious and captivating, it draws you into the history of this land and makes you yearn for more. Honestly, that might be the greatest treasure of all!
Until next time: Onward Adventurers!
Deciphering Research Notes can be considered "End Game Content," as you will need GM Skill (100) in Cartography, Detect Hidden and Item ID. All of them! I suppose it could be accomplished by several characters, each with their own GM'd skill... but that would take a lot of coordination and might not be worth the aggravation.

With Grand Mastery of all three skills, you can proceed to decipher the page. This is done by selecting the correct sequence of required skills. For example, this page required "three clicks" on Cartography, and "two clicks" on Item ID. But the combo can be any 5 of the three. Perhaps 3 Cartography, 1 Detect Hidden, and 1 Item ID. The choices you make do have an impact on the text of the page: when your selected skill is at or below the required number, the text will jumble into a MORE readable version. If you've clicked on a skill too many times for this particular note, the text will jumble into a LESS readable version. To be honest, I didn't pay much attention to what the text was doing (sorry Luthius!), I just sequentially went through my three skills until the page was deciphered.
These deciphered Lore Pages will eventually need to be added to a Lore Book, which can only be Crafted by an Elder Scribe (110 Inscription).
Adding a Lore Page to your Lore Book can be done one of two ways. By clicking the gem and selecting the page, or by simply dragging your page onto your book. Only one of each page can be added to the book, so save your extra pages for a new book, or help someone else complete theirs! Once you've added the First Page into your book, it will become a Specific lore book to that history; in this case, Creatures of Aegis Keep. You will only be able to add other pages to this particular book that are related to that particular lore, so expect to be working on several books at once.
Once you have collected and added ALL pages for that particular subject (between 10 and 15 pages, depending), you will receive a Legendary Treasure Map (and potentially other goodies to be added later... fingers crossed). It's hard to make out in this .gif, but you may notice the map appearing in the upper left of my backpack as soon as I drop the last page into my book.

And, while the completed Lore Book might be "reward enough," I won't be complaining about a Level 8 TMap! Ever!

And there you have it; Research Notes in a Nutshell! Much of the information I learned from the 7-25-18 Patch Notes HERE, while some of it I had to learn through trial and error. Regardless, it was a great adventure finding and collecting the notes, breaking shit when I kept getting repeat notes (not really), and the excitement of finding the Final Page!
On a final note, I DO NOT want it to go unsaid: The Lore is SUPERBLY written; mysterious and captivating, it draws you into the history of this land and makes you yearn for more. Honestly, that might be the greatest treasure of all!
Until next time: Onward Adventurers!