The Journal of Axen Gordus

The journal of Axen Gordus, Chief Foreman, Imperial Highway project

3rd Harvest, 2663

Work continues on schedule, but progress is becoming increasingly hampered. Initial survey indicated that forest growth in this area would be relatively fresh and thus able to be cleared with little effort, but a stand of iron oak encountered roughly 7 miles north of Greenback has stymied even our heaviest saws. The roots are deep, and old, and projections for fully excavating the area are currently sitting at over twelve weeks. Mr Arkwright has posited an adjustment of seven degrees east, for a distance of five and a half miles which, if implemented now, will allow us to be back on track at a delay of only one day. I have submitted the revised plan for approval.

8th Harvest, 2663

Progress is currently running at -0.5 days. Ground underfoot is much harder than previously encountered. Our powered drills are coping sufficiently, but the manual teams are complaining that the stony ground is making regular tools useless. We have petitioned headquarters for magical assistance, but in the meantime efforts are being redoubled.

11th Harvest 2663

-1 days. Two desertions during the night - manual labourers have picked up their belongings and left. Must have snuck past the watch - I have asked watches to be doubled for the next couple of nights. Don't want others getting any ideas.

13th Harvest 2663

-1.5 days. Another three desertions in the night. Increased watches are not working, clearly. Considering replacing Eldon as guard captain. Response received from HQ - no magical assistance available for three months. Mr Arkwright is again suggesting raising the level of the road. Previous arguments about difficulty and delays are seeming increasingly moot, in light of the potential losses from continuing to scrape away at this ''' godforsaken stone! '''

16th Harvest 2663

-2.5 days. Arkwright has his way. We will raise the road. The ground here is uneven anyway, and is a nest of roots below the surface. The men are no happier about piling stones than they are excavating, but at least we will break fewer tools, and fewer bodies. No more desertions since, but five men have caught some kind of stinging rash from nearby flora. One is so bad he has had to be removed to Greenback. What a mess... The surveyors have invstigated the land to the west - still more iron oak. How could we have missed this?

21st Harvest 2663

- 3.5 -4.5. Part of the road we completed 3 days back has subsided. There are no words for how I am feeling. This entire endeavour is beginning to seem like a mistake. I'm beginning to think

Arkwright insists that his design is still viable. Nevertheless, adjustments will have to be made. We have agreed to a compromise, a hybrid design. The road will still be mostly elevated, with larger foundation stones continuing to be drilled to lend additional support. I pray to Aegis it will be enough.

...I have had to dispatch fully half of the construction crew to repair the damage. Before, I was worried about a delay of a week. Now I'm wondering if we will even be done by winter.

23rd Harvest

More desertions. These didn't even bother to take their belongings. I don't blame them. I would want out of this endeavour as well. Something in my bones is unnerved by being out in the wilderness, unprotected. There are dark spaces in the forest that are watching us.

24th Harvest

The project is over. Or suspended. At least for now.

One of the rune augurs was drilling a foundation block, when it broke through into a chamber. We lost the drill, and the operator too. That must have set off a chain reaction because without warning the entire area began to collapse, like a sinkhole. We lost three more that way, including Mr Arkwright.

I sent the workers on break after that. We waited an hour to be sure that nothing further would subside before exploring further. This cavern is huge, far bigger than we initially thought. We could not see the extent of it from the surface. I am arranging a scouting party, outfitting them with ropes and excavating gear. We will get to the bottom of this. But for now, the Imperial Highway project cannot continue.

***

It's night. Not sure what time. We just returned from exploring the caverns uncovered earlier.

First order of business was retrieving the bodies. Unfortunately, they were trapped beneath debris, and we could not do anything for them. Must remember to have a service.

Pressed on. Became obvious very soon that natural light would not do the job. Torches showed walls overgrown with moss and fungus. Surprised to see it so lush, considering it had only just been broken open.

Eventually found our way into a much larger underground cavern, illuminated by irridescent growths on the walls. We walked for a good five minutes before finding another wall. This place is MUCH bigger than we initially thought. There are other things there too - statues and structures in a style I did not recognise. I brought a few of the smaller pieces back with me. We will need to send these off to be examined, we may have found something of true cultural significance here.

I make for Kingspire in the morning. I hope this does not mean the end of my career.

***

THE TREES ARE WATCHING

''- Recovered from the ruined camp of the Imperial Highway construction expedition. It is the only first hand account of the events that are believed to have sparked the elven uprising that eventually engulfed the Empire in civil war.''