[An Envelope of Documents sent to Janissary Thorn Thud]

[AsheandCinders]

Jannisary

Enclosed are the Transcripts you Requested, I trust they shall serve your efforts well.

My thanks for dealing with Ibn Ghalish swiftly and without fuss in the Forum, we would all be better off if less people indulged him.

Live and Drink
Deputy Chief Scribe al-Samar
Head Clerk of the Office of the Sublime Bank
Scribe of the Sublime Garden

[The Document are also provided within the Envolope]

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Estellise Azimi: "Some clarifying points. Cosine did get cursed down there and I suspect that is the source of his erratic behavior. Hearing the Rod speak to him, urging him to take it, by any means necessary, and perform a questionable attunement' ruse.

As we'd been warned by the entities down there of some grave danger, I kept my eyes open for the signs of a seal being broken or admittedly any change at all. I saw none.

The seismic activity and entities involved were all in line with other trips made. These expeditions were being carried out with approval from a Lieutenant of the Fourth Legion and with knowledge of them given to both Legates. Seen even during the first expedition when everyone assembled was forced to push one from our ascending Lift.

In truth, I'm uncertain what seal was broken or what changed at all. I have to agree with Sephidra on that. I think the Attunement was a fabrication, and the ancient puzzle was solved without fanfare.

Descending into Layer Four's 'Machine' seemed to trigger nothing visible. And neither expedition did anything other than walk around and attempt to learn of the place's purpose. The first trip being ended abruptly to save Balladeer Narwen's life.

There is much enmity between my Apprentices and the Torchbearers at the moment that has colored the tellings of these events. It is my hope that the truth can be discovered amidst all the chaos here."

Legate Qari Alriyh: "So your statement, on behalf the the astronomers, is that 'nothing' happened, on this second expedition?"

Estellise Azimi: "Yes. It was a lot of running around and reading books. It ended when we were forced to flee from a strange many-limbed entity that only Inspector Daoud and Sergeant Joachim could perceive."

Ibn Ghalish: "They were warned and they did it all the same!"

Estellise Azimi: "Warned by who? Who even are the 'inheritors'? What authority do they possess to tell us what we can and cannot do?"

[...]

Estellise Azimi: "Of course. I'm finished."

Alessia Corvini: "Honored Legates, hello. I did not have a question. I simply wished to note that I and Balestriere Rosseau were present on this 'second trip', and may provide information at your request.

There was nothing. This machine was old and decrepit. There were strange rats in tubes. There were many panels and buttons. None of them worked. They ran about for many hours. There was a locked door they could not figure out how to open. There were strange, enormous boilers. There were many readings of 'pressure'. But there were no 'many-legged beasts' within this Machine. There were some robotic things, creatures that resembled minotaurs. From my understanding, essentially nothing of note occurred within the Machine itself."

Legate Qari Alriyh: "You would say that without the torchbearers, their expedition was a failure, then? As one would expect, from a charlatan's students."

Alessia Corvini: "I would not say that, Legate."

Mirielle Rosseau: "We were able to discern some, here and there, as to the machine's functions and how the controls worked."

Alessia Corvini: "It is my understanding many such trips were planned."

Mirielle Rosseau: "But it is a vast thing to acquire an understanding of in but one visit, oui?"

Alessia Corvini: "It is not a failure in this context. A soldier understands that territory needs to be scouted and mapped first. Before it is to be conquered."

Citizens of the Well, Legates.. Ephia's Well is a truly Ancient city. This Pyramid we stand in today, was constructed by the Orentid, but beneath us, lay layers upon layers of history.
The Torchbearers, have, since our creation, worked alongside with the Rose, to make inroads into Archaeology and knowledge that may help us rejuvinate this desolate land.
One of our projects, takes us deep beneath the Well, into the city that was- When this place was yet the Caliphate of the noble Maribid line.

There is a lift, within the Gutters, guarded by persistent Orentid holdouts. - Cursed by a rat curse, on one side. And on the other side by men who study machinery, like Apothar Mae does today.
This lift, can bring us to the city burried underneath the sands. Hold up by a pocket - a grotto, of sorts. The lift itself, was likely constructed during Orentid times, and was used to bring the Giant statues you see in our well today.

Regardless, our company, of Torchbearers, along with Roses.. Like Lyrist Lynneth and Balestieré Kythaela, went down to explore this place. This was months ago, after Kythaela first assembled a key.
What we found was a city haunted, by specters and wraiths. Citizens of that disaster, over fivehundred years ago. Still suffering, even as life had left them. We found there, Libraries, containing knowledge. Readable pieces, of historical import, And most of all, we found a path that seems to lead onwards. Deeper into the Well. Even beyond this sunken city of the Caliphate.

It was always our hope to descend as far as we could, to see the ruins of the Colossi themselves. To learn, and perhaps find out.. how the water of our well is created. And perhaps find the recepticle that the Legendary cup must fit in. But, our missions had setbacks.

Two days ago, we finally solved a puzzle that saw us into a room. That held a control rod, that could lead us into the layer beneath the Caliphate city. But, the rod had proven too great a treasure for one of the people who accompanied us that day And old rivalries created a division between those studying the ruins.

I am not here to cast blame. I will leave that for later. But the Apothar Mevura, who, along with other Apothars had joined us below, to study the ruins, attempted to claim the rod for the Astronomers. An altercation took place, and we parted with tension.
The Torchbearers did hold unto the rod by the end of the Altercation. But before we recovered it, Apothar Mevura told us he attuned to it somehow. The Well shook around this time. Creaing damage.

[A note added in the re-writing of the transcription "It is here Apothar Stern interupts clarifiying that a truthful record was to be provided, as only one Apothar was present by the Astronomer Account. Apothar Azimi Also interupts to Claim she never made claim upon the Rod and encouraged it's return to Naelin, as well as confirm there was only one Apothar Present."]

Apologies, Apothar Azimi, I did not mean to imply you tried to take the rod. I meant that Cosine did, for the sake of the Astronomer faction.

Regardless, whether attuning to the rod, or opening the doorway with it- I am not sure, which was the factor that did it. The ground shook, and we have been informed that this has damaged beams and structure in the Well.

 However, the tension we created, led Apothar Mevura to set up his own expedition, yesterday. Of which we torchbearers were not part. Again, the ground shook. And at the conclusion of this expedition - where we assume, he teleported beyond the gate with his party - this creature now stalks our Gutters.

I am unsure what precisely released the beast. It may very well be us entering the fourth layer briefly, It may have been his attunement to this rod, Or it may be what they did yesterday, when they went without us. But regardless, we hold part of the blame for the creature that was unleashed upon the Well. If only by trusting Apothar Mevura, and allowing him to set up Teleportation points below. Or worse, by our own actions. - And I could not let this be hidden further.

[Another Note Added "It is at this point a tremor, as those mentioned above, took place. Albeit a relatively minor one."]

Our delving have come with a risk, it is apparent. And as by Marcellus Seanus' order, even before the beast was known. We have agreed to no longer delve below. As it clearly bears a risk for the people of the Well, the people living now.

Know however, that the fourth layer beneath our well. Beneath even this Sunken Caliphate city. Is an ancient machine. Walls of Iron, constructs that roam, Akin to what you may found in the Dunes of Rust. It is likely that the machine below our feet, has been activated somehow, by this attunement or our opening of the grate. How relevant it is to our city today, if it plays a part in our Well Water.. is hard to gauge, by what we know.
 
As final note, I will say, that Apothar Mevura stated, the Rod seemed to talk to him?  It is likely related, how, we do not yet know.

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