Skyreach Explorer, Volume Five

Summary

 * Location:Skyreach Hold
 * Author: Reginus Buca

Content
By Reginus Buca, Historian, University of Gwylim

Supplemental Notes by Verita Numida, Ancientist, University of Gwylim

Reginus stepped into a crack in the stone walkway and sprained his ankle. He's currently resting at the base camp with a cup of hot juniper tea. He reluctantly agreed to allow me to explore the pinnacle ruins without him, as we can't afford to waste time waiting for his ankle to heal to complete our examination of the Skyreach complex.

Here I am, inside the highest accessible point within the Skyreach ruins. A long, winding corridor leads deeper into the structure, though I have yet to see any evidence that would allow me to formulate a theory about the purpose of this place. I do have the unnerving feeling that I'm not alone in here. Well, in addition to my guards and research assistants. I wonder if it has something to do with the faces staring out from the carvings in the pillars and walls? Anyway, the corridor into the ruins appears to have seen damage in the past. Parts of the walls have fallen away, and sections of the approach appear to consist of natural cave instead of worked stone. Perhaps an earthquake caused the damage and even opened natural passages through the ruins? And it still feels as though I could turn around and look into the face of an ancient Nede—or something even stranger—at any moment.

As I reached the end of the corridor and it opened into a vast, finished chamber, I wondered whether or not the passage I entered the ruins by was ever meant as an original accessway. It appeared to bisect the main chamber almost as an afterthought, as though someone or something dug their way into this section of the ruins at some point after the fall of Skyreach and I was now following the path of previous explorers or tomb robbers.

I need to think about that a bit before I write any additional comments.