Hunter's Diary
Book
(A note is scrawled on the first page:
Recovered from Incident Site 62-B. No survivors recorded. We are calling the mysterious smoke "Echo" based on similar reports connected to other Human ruins.) DAY 1: Set up camp with the clients today. Guess the Order wants someone to guide these Watchers through the ruins. Strange to see Order folk want anything to do with old Human stuff. Usually see em putting up their little ropes and tryin to keep folks out. Still, can't beat pay when it comes to the Order. Specially when no one else wanted to take the job. Lotta local folks claim the ruins are cursed, which is why they had to hire a hunter like me. Someone who knows their way around a bow and ain't afraid of some shadows. Should be fine long as no one's stupid. I ain't one for all that superstitious crap anyways.
Recovered from Incident Site 62-B. No survivors recorded. We are calling the mysterious smoke "Echo" based on similar reports connected to other Human ruins.) DAY 1: Set up camp with the clients today. Guess the Order wants someone to guide these Watchers through the ruins. Strange to see Order folk want anything to do with old Human stuff. Usually see em putting up their little ropes and tryin to keep folks out. Still, can't beat pay when it comes to the Order. Specially when no one else wanted to take the job. Lotta local folks claim the ruins are cursed, which is why they had to hire a hunter like me. Someone who knows their way around a bow and ain't afraid of some shadows. Should be fine long as no one's stupid. I ain't one for all that superstitious crap anyways.
DAY 2: Started real early today. The Head Watcher, some guy named Finnii, made a big fuss about early wols catching the worms. Swear I saw one of the other Watchers roll their eyes. Got a feeling he ain't exactly a popular leader. He talked my ear off the whole way down to the ruins about his theories on the Human disappearance.
I asked him why it mattered and he acted all shocked. Just don't see how some old dead people from before our time have anything to do with us. I tuned out the answer he gave. We made camp in the ruins. Some of the other members are acting nervous. The youngest one, Simuu, says she heard voices in the shadows as we were traveling today. Didn't hear nothin' myself. Suggested to Finnii that he check in on her later.
I asked him why it mattered and he acted all shocked. Just don't see how some old dead people from before our time have anything to do with us. I tuned out the answer he gave. We made camp in the ruins. Some of the other members are acting nervous. The youngest one, Simuu, says she heard voices in the shadows as we were traveling today. Didn't hear nothin' myself. Suggested to Finnii that he check in on her later.
DAY 3: Had nightmares last night. Same one I used to get. Had to watch him fall, over and over again, while I'm frozen. Try to move or call for help or do anything but it's like I'm not even in my body anymore. Heard some of the other expedition members mention bad dreams too. Think those stories are getting to everyone.
The worst was Simuu though. She had these dark shadows under her eyes and barely even reacted when I tried talking to her. Finnii wrote it off as nerves. Apparently it's her first mission since graduating. I'm not so sure though. She seemed nervous but normal yesterday. Today it's like she's a different person entirely. We go further into the depths today, then set up final camp.
The worst was Simuu though. She had these dark shadows under her eyes and barely even reacted when I tried talking to her. Finnii wrote it off as nerves. Apparently it's her first mission since graduating. I'm not so sure though. She seemed nervous but normal yesterday. Today it's like she's a different person entirely. We go further into the depths today, then set up final camp.
DAY 6: Found some kinda locked door mechanism in the ruins. Spent the whole day solving the puzzles to unlock it, and all we found on the other side was an empty hallway and some purple smoke. Thought it might be poison gas from a booby trap, but it dissipated real quick.
DAY 7: Simuu disappeared. Spent all day looking for her but it's like she vanished without a trace. Tried bringing it up with Finnii, but he brushed it off. Seemed almost... angry at me? Swear he snarled at me like some kinda shadvaraak. Tried to write it off as stress but I ain't so sure anymore. Thinking soon as we find Simuu we might wanna cut this thing short. DAY 7: Same damn nightmares. Why can't I move?
DAY 7: Simuu disappeared. Spent all day looking for her but it's like she vanished without a trace. Tried bringing it up with Finnii, but he brushed it off. Seemed almost... angry at me? Swear he snarled at me like some kinda shadvaraak. Tried to write it off as stress but I ain't so sure anymore. Thinking soon as we find Simuu we might wanna cut this thing short. DAY 7: Same damn nightmares. Why can't I move?
DAY 8: Finnii says it's business as usual. We'll start trying to open the doors in that hallway we unlocked, and if Simuu shows up then she shows up. He won't divert resources to look for her. Some of the others tried to argue and he nearly charged them with mutiny. Ain't my business, anyways.
DAY 8: Ain't nothing behind any of the doors. Just more smoke. What's the point of hiring a hunter? Not like I can shoot the air. Nothing's been living here since the Humans sealed it up. DAY 9: The nightmares ain't stopped. Barely slept last night, so I just kept watch. Could've sworn I saw somethin' sneaking around in the dark but when I went to check it out it was gone. Day 10: We found Simuu. She was behind one of the sealed doors. No idea how she got in there, and she ain't saying anything. When we found her she was shakin' like a leaf, surrounded by that purple stuff. I told Finnii we should cut the expedition short and get outta here and he damn near pulled a sword on me. Think I'll stay up and keep watch tonight near Simuu's tent.
DAY 8: Ain't nothing behind any of the doors. Just more smoke. What's the point of hiring a hunter? Not like I can shoot the air. Nothing's been living here since the Humans sealed it up. DAY 9: The nightmares ain't stopped. Barely slept last night, so I just kept watch. Could've sworn I saw somethin' sneaking around in the dark but when I went to check it out it was gone. Day 10: We found Simuu. She was behind one of the sealed doors. No idea how she got in there, and she ain't saying anything. When we found her she was shakin' like a leaf, surrounded by that purple stuff. I told Finnii we should cut the expedition short and get outta here and he damn near pulled a sword on me. Think I'll stay up and keep watch tonight near Simuu's tent.
(The next few pages are damaged and almost completely unsalvageable. You flip to the next legible page.)
-- trapped. Must've been Finnii. He's locked us in here, says we're all infected. Can't see how he's the one changing. Damn paranoia's doomed us all. Gonna look for another way-- -- It's here. This is where it's all been coming from. That smoke, the damn smoke. Close my eyes and all I see is purple and that thing. Finnii was lying next to the pool as it swam under the surface. Singing to it. Need to get out of here. Taking Simuu with me. She took one look at the thing and just started shrieking. It ain't even leaving, but I'm not waiting for it to get hungry.
-- trapped. Must've been Finnii. He's locked us in here, says we're all infected. Can't see how he's the one changing. Damn paranoia's doomed us all. Gonna look for another way-- -- It's here. This is where it's all been coming from. That smoke, the damn smoke. Close my eyes and all I see is purple and that thing. Finnii was lying next to the pool as it swam under the surface. Singing to it. Need to get out of here. Taking Simuu with me. She took one look at the thing and just started shrieking. It ain't even leaving, but I'm not waiting for it to get hungry.
( That is the last page of the journal. There is a note attached to the back cover written in a different hand. )
This journal was discovered just inside the Painted Ruins. No traces of the expedition team were found despite extensive search. There are no known hallways or underground pools attached to the Painted Ruins. It is a relatively simple complex believed to be a Temple to the Phoenix. The only proof that the missing expedition reached these ruins is this account. All members have been marked Missing In Action.
This journal was discovered just inside the Painted Ruins. No traces of the expedition team were found despite extensive search. There are no known hallways or underground pools attached to the Painted Ruins. It is a relatively simple complex believed to be a Temple to the Phoenix. The only proof that the missing expedition reached these ruins is this account. All members have been marked Missing In Action.
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