The reverse osmotic fluid suspension inhibitors we installed allowed us to get six hours of extra data from “Goodwhip” last night. And then the antenna actually caught on fire. So I will give you this information to look over while we repair it and perhaps add more insulation.

Without further ado, I will let Ezum continue the story in her own words.

28 Timber, 251

I have just awoken from what the others tell me was a four-day fever dream. I am drained of energy and mentally exhausted. I need to write down what I remember before I fall back into sleep and forget all of it.

I had drawn up plans for a deep core mining operation, intended to sample the mineral and crystalline content of the next several layers of earth below us. As the most experienced miner in the expedition, I was in the lead when we broke through into the caverns below. The floor next to me gave way under my pick, and there was a pit of… such perfect darkness. It was deeper and darker than I’d ever been before. And in the distance, there was a strange, faint light. It was alluring like nothing I had seen before.

It is at this point that the others tell me I collapsed to the floor of the mining shaft, and was carried to the barracks where they worriedly cared for me. I don’t remember a lot of those four days, but I know that this proves that my private theories about a previous generation of Dwarves were right. There is something very old in that cavern, I will be the one to find it.

I have ordered that all of our industry be turned to generating valuable trade goods so that we may purchase food, and I have ordered all of the animals in the fortress slaughtered and prepared into meals as well. We must prepare to devote as much time and manpower as is necessary to complete this project.

After this, there is a long period of strange static where all we could decode were brief, almost imperceptible images of tentacles, and of a great, sunken stone city. We immediately disregarded them as dangerous superstition. I recommend you don’t even look at those pictures.

Instead, several weeks after the mining expedition opened up the caverns below, we had our very first combat record. Ezum will explain.

Late Winter, 251

Our day-keeping breaks down in the winter because in this place, sometimes several days pass without the sun appearing, and other times it feels it never sets. Regardless, last night we had our very first invader. A strange, furry, ratlike humanoid, half of a Dwarf’s height, and with eyes gleaming with malice from the deep places tried to steal from us.

I chased it down and dealt with it myself. We will not allow filth like that to contaminate the wonderful start we have here. I know that the treasure our ancestors left behind will be nearby. I can feel it.

Following this is the official combat record from the expedition logs, transcribed for you here. ‘The Hauler’ is actually Ezum; combat logs use a different notation from any of the other Dwarven documents and we had trouble translating them accurately.

Just as the system shut down (and the ceiling caught fire…) we saw a second creature approaching. We were able to get a description of it, as well as its name (at least, as the Dwarves logged it.)

It should only take several hours to replace the antenna, and the hole in the roof is actually helping our reception, so there should be more soon.