Session 100 :

Session 100 :

Journal Entry – 2nd of Jourelden – 8PM

We’ve spent the better part of the last 30 or 40 hours slaughtering the infected and “exploring” the residential quarters of those unfortunate that worked in the dwarven “Pathogen” facility. It is days like this that I question if Kalgunn was right to call us grave-robbers.

Still, if I learned anything about this “Pathogen” area is that it must be eradicated from existence – erased. Worse than the horrors of the BioForge – the diseases that were cultured here would be devastating to all life on the surface. The fact that the dwarves of that age would have even considered unleashing this in order to save themselves makes me sick. Maybe not all lost dwarven knowledge is worth saving – but that’s a discussion for another entry – or book.

Moving on – I sit here with Kalgunn sheathed with Mind Circlet on my head waiting for Thorfus and Chuck to sit and discuss our next moves. With Axel gone I believe they’ve accepted me as an official member of their company. Why the circlet? As much as I want to, I cannot bring myself to fully trust Kalgunn, it is a product of its age and likely conspiring against me in some way – especially after Lupa confirmed my suspicions that it can “see & hear” more than he admits to. I think it more prudent to keep it sheathed and my mind clear of any possible suggestion for now.

Ah – here they come… I’ll report later.

A lively debate to say the least – what follows is a summary of the main points of each.

Chuck started by asking the obvious question – likely tainted by the recent loss of Axel which he did not take well : Do we continue exploring and clearing the labs, or do we stop return to the surface, inform Axel’s family of their loss and deal with Grel and the other surface issues. Suffice to say that Chuck was adamant that we destroy the key, preventing the Silver Throne and this so called Dark King from gaining anymore dwarven technology. To focus our attention to those we left suffering on the surface. He reminded them that the only the reason they were looking for the keys was to find the sphere and prevent anyone from getting it. Destroying a key or all keys would prevent that.

As you can imagine, I explained that I had no interest in leaving – the potential good from recovering and sharing this technology and the amount of lost history that could be restored cannot be ignored. Besides – this Grell person means nothing to me. I voted that we stay and continue exploring – even attempt to return to the BioForge with a greater force in order to retrieve the final key allowing us to unlock all the secrets of this place.

Chuck reminded me that I had Kalgunn, that with him I had everything I needed to recreate that lost technology. A valid point, but I reminded him that destroying the keys would not stop the Silver Throne or the Dark King from gaining access to these facilities. Kalgunn confirmed that heavily trapped tunnels linking the facilities to the Undercity and even the surface exist. Destroying the keys would only delay the inevitable.

Thorfus pondered – if anyone’s word had any real weight it would be his – and at first agreed with Chuck – that we need to tell Axel’s family. Then Derrich – the ancient human hero – interjected, warning us all about the perils of a potential return of XenoTel – the very being he and likely my ancestors fought to destroy. He has a mission to complete and he has every intention to make sure that XenoTel and the dwarven empire will never return. He even accused Chuck and Thorfus of having been affected by the technology on their heads. He questioned even myself – rightly so I might add. I do not trust it and I have begun to question weather I should continue carrying it at my side.

Chuck objected to Derrich’s interjection – that he had no say in the decisions of the group. To which Derrich obviously took exception to. Back and forth they went – point and counterpoint. Eventually even Thorfus began to sway towards continuing. Which is is the greater evil? Slavers on the surface, or the potential rising of a new dwarven empire or worse – the accidental release of the horrors of the Pathogen facility. We need that final key – even if only to destroy the Pathogen Facility once and for all.

But retrieving the final key was an issue – that is until we stumbled upon a plan during our arguments. With Kalgunn’s help in understanding how Engineering powered the other facilities – we figured we could circumvent any possibility of escape by the Dark King’s forces while preventing the use of the de-synchronization technology against us in the BioForge installation as they had done in the Botanical area trapping Axel.

Even Chuck couldn’t disagree with an attempt to save his friend – or at least retrieve his body.

So we’re off to try it. Wish us luck.

By my ancestors! Axel is ALIVE!

Our plan worked – we entered the BioForge facility without issue. As the portal opened we could see Axel’s message written on the walls – he was alive and did not reproach us for leaving him to his fate. That he was going to make his way to the surface and that the key we needed was “sacrificed.” We feared the key was lost.

It seems that our preparations were not necessary, Thorfus and Derrich faced no opposition or traps as they quickly explored the immediate surroundings. Derrich tells me that as they explored both he and Thorfus suddenly understood that Axel had not destroyed the key at all but had hidden it in the primitive shrine near the lair of giant lizards I first saw when I arrived to explore the ruins.

So we now have the key we need to give us full control over all the facilities and gain axes the mysterious Section X where Derrich believes his commander – the Dragon Consort is imprisoned or where XenoTel is imprisoned or both. We won’t know until we get there.

But we need supplies and some items we left with Lupa. So Chuck and I will attempt a quick trip to retrieve what we need and return. I’ll be leaving Kalgunn behind – I’d rather not upset a 2,000 year old legendary creature. I’ll continue when I return.

I now understand why the company distrusts Marchmain so much. In order to avoid being spotted by any dwarven patrols that may still be exploring the Undercity, Chuck and I used our combined talents to quickly move undetected towards Lupa’s hiding place. On our way – in the great hall of pillars we found two teams of dwarves building fortifications each blocking the main corridors leading to the Undercity – the left towards the temple and the portal from which we came, the other towards the city itself – and Lupa. Chuck and I knew immediately – that game board had changed and we had to make haste.

Thankfully they were busy and did notice our passing. We made as quickly as possible to Lupa’s hiding place at the base of the Colossi. After telling Lupa what had happened, Chuck unsuccessfully tried to convince Lupa to join us in going to Section X- but she refused – stating that she’d rather not,that she’d rather go somewhere to wait to witness the result. After a 2,500 year vigil we both understood that there would be no convincing her otherwise.

We had another problem, with the dwarves setting fortifications it would only be a matter of time before they would find our company’s trove of equipment and artifacts. Hastily Chuck and I took what we needed and any other items we would not dare let fall into the hands of the Silver Throne and packed them on our persons – including a rather nice piece of armour for myself, something I had noticed amoung the company’s belongings but never had considered requesting the use of- silly me I guess, I could have avoided much pain. Then we gathered whatever else we could manage and hid them in our hidden access tunnel Chuck called the Raptor tunnel – hopefully we’d be back to recover it all.

After a quick double check (and a good 2 hours of packing and moving – I’m so sore) we made our way back to the portal.

The dwarven fortification hadn’t progressed much since we last passed, but there were many more dwarves and this time Marchmain himself. Knowing that Marchmain and Chuck had a disagreeable encounter – I gave him my circlet to shield his mind while I guided his shadow step – hoping that Marchmain would not sense him or I for that matter.

He did not – and we made our way back to the portal and had Thorfus shut it immediately.

Chuck is recounting our experience while I rest my sore body – Boris is welcome company as we all contemplate our next move and I contemplate Kalgunn’s fate – should we go to this mysterious Section X – do I dare bring a sword that I may or may not fully control that according to Lupa will likely betray us or do I simply leave it here in it’s beloved engineering assuming I’ll be able to return to retrieve him? Maybe in a box …Safjiwer … Boris is insisting that I rest – he’s constantly trying to sit on this book as a write… I’ll resume another time.