Keep looking. I've spent almost an entire in-game day before finding one.
1st of Timber, 200
My name is Gica Avetholama Eli, born in the great forests of the west that whoever finds this has most likely never heard of.
I am writing this because I fear that I am insane and that it will be my death.
Ever since my fateful and indecisive battle with Osram Fortuneswelter, that dead yet walking dragon, I have heard voices.
Perhaps I should elaborate.
I am known throughout the lands as a great warrior - my cognomen is given, not taken - and I had been asked by some minor human warlord to rid his people
of a great dragon named Osram Fortuneswelter. I, in my arrogance, accepted without further question.
This was my first mistake.
The dragon was dead. But it still lived. I know not what sorcery or "natural" magickal phenomenon kept the enormous, rotting hulk moving, but move it did.
I thought little of it - dead or living, nothing frightened me then. I struck her again and again and again, and her flesh flew off in great mouldering chunks,
but no matter what, whether by maul or axe or blade, whatever animated the thing was not so easily deterred. In the end, I tired. It did not.
I am since told that the dragon has ceased to menace the area - apparently, my attacks left Osram "alive", but crippled. Its wings are clipped, and its legs deform.
I suppose I should take some solace in that.
At the time, I retreated. The beast blocked the way out, so I ran the only direction I could - deeper. And deeper.
Eventually, I came to an open space - obscured by the darkness so that it seemed as if it stretched forever. There grew strange fungi the size of a man, and the
sound of water dripping and running and pooling was silent but deafening. It seemed whatever foul forces keep Osram in its false-living state extended into these
deeps, and I was soon beset by dead cetacean things, slithering out of their watery graves with rotting tentacles. They were more susceptible to my blade than
the dragon, though, and I left them still-squirming but immobile masses in the muck. But the blackness underneath the foothills disguised my path, and when I was victorious, I realised that I was lost.
I do not know how long I walked down in the blackness, fending off dead trolls and enormous toads and things that seemed a bizarre amalgam of elk and bird (though, perhaps that was my imagination).
It felt like days, but looking back now, it may have been mere hours. Eventually, I fell off some unseen precipice, and as I lay at the bottom, bleeding and bruised,
I heard it.
It sounded like the darkness. And it was singing.
I cannot say precisely where it came from, except that it came from deep, deep within the stone. I was sure it wanted me to come join it.
Then, I knew where I was. I do not know how I knew.
I ignored the voice, heading south towards where I knew civilization waited. I ran and swam almost blindly through the darkness, delirious from fever and singing to
drown out the darkness, whilst things, living things came at me but I tore them apart and ran and ran and ran.
I remember little of how I escaped the deeps. I eventually, somehow, managed to find my way to a city, where I told my tale apart from the song and rested my weary body.
But the singing has not stopped. Instead, it grows ever louder, and only I can hear it. I have told no-one.
Now, I am in a small cave near the ocean, with the body of Baru Greasesullied the hydra and two of its heads cooling at my feet. The cave goes deeper.I do not think I
will be coming back up.
Not before I stop the singing.
1st of Timber, 200
I just got stuck in some web, big enough to catch a horse.
I really hope I don't run in to whatever spider spun it.
1st of Timber, 200
Savage human-looking things with enormous pink eyes tried to jump me just now.
One tried to escape and got stuck in a web.
I almost felt sorry for it.
1st of Timber, 200
I just jumped down a cliff, and I'm covered in bruises. I should really learn to not do that.
I guess I won't be getting back up that way.
1st of Timber, 200
More savages. I couldn't catch all of them, this time - I hope they don't come back with friends in tow.
1st of Timber, 200
This isn't good - I'm getting a bit thirsty, and I haven't seen any water anywhere apart from what I brought with me.
1st of timber 2000
Gods I just came across a warren of giant naked rat-dog-things I killed three but then one just changed and the swrd went right through and didnt hit anything
and it still hit back and others just stare
Well, on the bright side, most of them were flesh and blood and I assume they have to drink, too.
1st of Timber, 200
I know I said I wouldn't jump down any cliffs, but there's no other way down. I am sorry.
Also in pain.
1st of Timber, 200
I ran into some big yellow thing. It kicked me and now I've got problems breathing right.
Gonna lie down for a while
Well it came back for more. Rude awakening Still problems breathing. Taking it easy, but I have to get moving.
Found nook
sleep
1st? of Timber 200
Was awoken by big savage type trying to strangle. Seems the lung was just bruised.
Still, am getting hungry.
-
Met a troll, living for once. Tore head off. Didn't know blood could be that colour.
-
Met another big yellow thing. It cracked my toenail. Will get infected and kill me, with my luck.
-
More naked mole-dog-things. No unnatural snafus, this time.
Wrote too soon. Gods.
-
Just saw a bizarre combination of man and mushroom. What the hell.
Strangely, it's the only thing I've met down here that wasn't trying to kill me.
2nd of Timber? Maybe? 200
Found a passage leading down. Full of weird animals. Killed giatn toad in one blow. Rather proud of myself.
Need sleep.