I have forgotten how long I had been alone, in the underdark. I find writing this down helps me preserve the memory. The past has clues to the future, and must not be forsaken. I watched the settlement of slaves for some time. It suffers great upheaval and chaos..but there is new light in the canals. Perhaps it is time to come in from the dark..I shall make some forrays and see how, or if at all, things have changed..

-It has been a fruitful endeavor, this expedition into the city. I have found the balance of Segojan rise up to greet me in what they call the canal ward..unfortunetly others in the city, those known as the spellguard, seek to bring the machine back from it's slumber. What foolishness, they seek there own destruction there. I shall try and find more of the natural path in the days to come there. I glimpsed a Kobold today, and then found two others cowering in the establishment called the 'crone. I stayed my hand at the behest of my companions, but if I find them in the open, I will remove their taint from this city. One other distubing trend, the humans of this place seem to quick to condemn, I journeyed with a man called Valeran, a holy knight of some Human endeavor. He seemed to assume his authority in this place, even to the dismay of his companions. I shall not think such razor thin judgments will serve him well . But then again, there was a reason our kind has never sought them out. On a much brighter note, it seems that a small warrior caste has arrived in the canal ward. I shall seek them out on my next forray into the city. Perhaps they too are survivors of the Settlement on the Lake.

My Svirfneblin brothers have accepted me, and I now have a home..they fear, as I , the machine, though they have not voiced there fears in much detail. There is a grand meeting in the Natural Ward, where they will do so..I am so happy to be amongst my Kinsmen again.

I entered the Reev's tournament, to help gauge the man and perhaps get some recognition for myself, to aid those who will hear my warnings once I am revealed. I placed second, against much larger foes, but second is not first. If it is permitted, perhaps I will try again in the next round. I am sure that my coin will still be welcome. The one who beat me struck with the fury of a Deep Lizard. I will need to become much faster if I am to win against him. The best way to avoid painful blows is to not be hit by them. Quick as the spider. I have kept to myself most times, trusting these surfacers is no easy task. Soon, I will need to reveal my true nature to them though, and see what allies I can muster. We shall see.

My kin spoke, though few came to hear them. It is always the way with surfacer's. I will try and be loud, make them hear. It is as I feared, ancient evil makes the machine go. It calls the dead up and fuels the surfacer on, giving comfort and death in equal measure. I have little proof, but only to look around, and you can see. Another, deeper puzzle, the key. I journeyed to the drow city, the druegar, and the isle of the Fishmen, even back to the ruins of my home, but no avail. Hidden well these things are, I must keep searching.

Met another barkskin today, angry he seemed, but it is of course to be expected, the city itself affronts all he believes in. I will watch him. I miss friend chameleon. No one hear talks to me..save my kin. But, not trusting makes it hard to be spoken to, I suppose. I will try to be more ..allowing tommorow, many locked places to be seen at the Grey one's town. I will need help.

I have enlisted the help of a gnome belonging to the Dunwarren Pathfinders, or some such. I risk a bit, but they seem to have extensive knowledge of the ruins, and may, chance upon one of the pieces. We shall see. My contact, a surfacer gnome..seems trusting enough, though I believe his partner to be perhaps a spellguard agent. A large risk, but I think necessary. The only places not searched outside the machine are the city of the dead, the city of lizards, the beholders den, and Transyr proper. The lizards or the city of the dead I will venture to next. At some point, I will need find an able locksmith, many things lay behind locked doors.

I am trying to train hard, make my strikes swift and powerful. I will try and enter the next round of Councilor Reev's tournament. Perhaps I will win the fame, I need to get them to listen to my warnings..time is growing short..I can feel it.

I went to the city of the dead..a most frightening and infernal place. I searched high and lo for the pieces, but my search availed not. I know must turn to the Lizards fallen kingdom, and beyond. I am still shaken from what I saw at the deadwalkers palace..I do not think I shall be quite right for a time now..

I snuck into the Kobolds stolen city, disgusting, vile creatures..I searched every inch, and came up wanting..I am begining to despair. I have covered every inch along the darkshore, every settlement. Nothing... I miss some crucial clue, some marker I overlooked. I will not travel back to that scaley camp, unless to annihilate them! They had a gnome's head on a stake! Savagaes..there time will come. But I must stay focused, the pieces are out there, I must find them.. where have I not looked..

I trusted a gnome wizard, a mistake. I found myself in a dreadful place, they Prymo Inn. I searched the complex, but the fragments of the circle still evade my vision.

I met with the other half of the Dunwarren Pathfinders today. Both gnomes, which makes them slightly more trustworthy then most. I suspect the elder one, or at least the senior, to be a Machinist, or a spellguard agent. But, at least for now, if they aid me in my quest, so be it. They are very good at seeking out secrets, and the location of the fragments seems to be secreted away, to be sure. To my knowledge, no one else has answered the call, so I will use whatever means necessary to get what is required. Time grows short, no expense must be spared..

At the final rounds of the tourny, I hope to try and speak to the Councilor Reev, perhaps he will listen. I am torn between what my brothers have asked of me, and what my path calls me to do. I will need to reconcile this soon, or be lost as those that swim in the sublime light of the machine..

My words are heard. I met with a human female today, and she is of like mind! I was beginning to think this colony of slaves lost to the foulness of the Machine. Once more, she seeks to bring life back to my birth place! I, of course, do not trust her god, or herself to be open and honest with myself. But, she at least understands the threat, and I will do what I can to help her in the immediate future. Time will tell, to what extent she can be trusted. A thing hard one in this foul city.

Accompanied by Straik and Gunnar of Clan Cave Wyrm, I managed to scout all of the territory between my former home, the Blue Mushroom, and past the Kobold's New Camp. Those two, worth a full company of warriors..they fell beasts I have seen slaughter whole groups in the underdark. I was in good company. We investigated the Lizard and Orog caves, the Mushrom Grove, the Crystal Cave, what must have been an ancient Druid Circle by the looks of it, a set of sparse cliffs overlooking the darkshore, and many caverns, tunnels and streams in between. ...nothing. I only hope that the things have not fallen into the wrong hands and our search is for naught. It is good to finally find company on my treks, and finer warriors I could not have asked for..the search continues...

Rumors persist of a pending attack on Mycopolis by the Spellguard. What a waste of life that will be..If this stolen city of slaves ever unite it's waring factions, Transyr itself would shake from the pending storm..but I fear that will not come to pass. I will keep my focus on the Key, and hopefully I can save them from themselves before it is too late.

I have been out in the dark,a tenday perhaps, searching, searching, and still no sign of the missing artifacts. I begin to think others perhaps have found them. On my return, I stopped by my old home along the shores, and found it had new life. I may yet return for good, once my quest complete. A halfling, but she seems to have the old Inn's best intrests in mind, and is far more desireable then my fears of a scaleskin making claim to it. It would be good to tend a small herd again on the shore, and not have to travel to this city continuously..perhaps in time.

With the rageing violence that is consumeing the city, I have moved my humble belongings to the Blue Mushroom. If feels good to be back at my old home, and the Hin is quiet, and her guardians feel more like home then the city ever did. I wish I could contently reamin here, but it is time to begin my work. The stolen city tears itself assunder, and the machine is awakening. I must try to stop it. All those that seemed to be of like mind have fled, or been killed. I shall need take harsh measures now. Segojan give me strength to see the task done.

My words have become clarion calls, trying to move the citizens of lower to action, before it is too late. I have had contact from some who have warned me, to a great extent, that I am now seen as an enemy of the Mageocracy. How ironic, that those I wish to spare such a horrid fate would now have me hunted. I find myself not without allies though, the old have perished, but new ones have risen to take there place. Most unlikely allies to be sure, but bound by a common goal, allies nonetheless, and a formidable force . Perhaps a small band can become a movement, then action can replace words. An individual out at Fort Mur and a few others, all of my ilk in spirit, have made contact. All is not lost. I was found, and I do mean found, as in one hunting, in my kinsman's compound a day ago, by a disguised human. At least his size and mannerisms fit that of the escaped slaves that populate this stolen city. My instincts tell me he may be an agent, of the aforementioned Mageocracy, but he seems to have information that may prove valuable to my quest, so I will continue with his cryptic game for the time being. My life, against all those who dwell here, pales by comparison. My people were long ago taken by the dark shadow of death, I am but a ghost among the ex-slaves of the stolen city, neither a member of their world, nor do I have one to call my own. But to prevent the same fate of my misguided kinsmen from befalling them, seems a noble path and one I shall embrace with all my being, or finally join my family in the trying.

Time for respite is brief, assassins seem to be in every dark shadow. It seems the city itself is moving to a crescendo, motivated by petty politics that pale in comparison to the tragedy that awaits if the Machine is awakened, but common cause and the same ends, perhaps, justify these means. I am tired, many battles have been fought in the past ten day, new allies have fallen, and as it should be in the great circle of life, new ones rise to take there place. One way, or another, it shall be over soon. I will find a peaceful slumber at it's end, I am so very weary, I want only to return to the wilds and sleep amongst the Deep dark mushrooms again. So, so tired..

All gone...the Seeker, the mysterious stranger full of warnings, the 'Loons, all have disappeared. Even the annoying kobold has seemed to vanish. The once proud councilor no longer holds office..Perhaps they are all dead. It does not matter, as I began, I have become again, alone. The odd Watchman with the white hair and shiny eyes, Valaron I think Seeker Crawford called him, seems potentially the only place I have left to turn, but his duty to the council, and allegiance with the spellguard may blind him. What to do, what to do.

*the handwriting seems a bit unsteady" They hunt me know, hiding, in every shadow..who to trust. Perhaps if I went to them, talked to him, he seems smart..but no He would only make an end of it..evil, wretched things, it is what they do. So many gone. And yet my work incomplete..

What to do, what to do?

Rumors and whispers, the last I confided in, dead. They killed them all! Segojan perhaps, a message to me, it is my path to walk alone..yes that is it. I will sing the truth, shout it at the top of my lungs! No more secrets! They cannot kill the air! They cannot stem the flow of an idea!

"the journal rambles on about"them" and "it" into nonsenseical sequiters. Then clarity seems to be regained.

"written in a heavy hand, each stroke seems labored and thick"

I will be loud. I will be bold. I will die trying to save them.