Day 93 ATF (after the fall)
Dated for the purposes of this journal
We have decided to maintain a composite journal to document what has happened - to try to make sense of it, and to assess what the effects of our mistake might be. As the scribe assigned to document the dimension ritual, it was logical that I be tasked with maintaining the record.
It is uncertain how much time passed between the rip forming and our awakening in this place. We are in fact uncertain how time is measured in this place as it seems to be many times at once.
But I get ahead of myself - let me begin at the beginning - or maybe it is at the end, for it is possible that life in our own dimension has ceased to exist with our creation of the rip.
We are all desperately sad about losing family, loved ones and friends, but our most pressing concern is that the group of us who have fallen through the rip represent the most powerful or gifted magic weavers, our most revered philosophers and our most talented technicians. The loss of these people will be terribly hard for those we have left behind to overcome. Our civilisation will be set back many many decades - if not longer. This is made all the more devastating in that most of our sacred and powerful icons, relics and technical apparatus also seems to have fallen with us. Some now broken or damaged beyond repair. These items are irreplaceable. The are now lost to our people for whom they are critical in the practice of magic and technology.
All is not desolate for our surviving group however. This place seems to be abundant in wildlife of all sorts, some strangely familiar, but most beyond anything we have experienced before. The races that inhabit this place are almost as diverse as the wildlife and there seem to be a number of different versions of language spoken, though most communication seems to be by the written word.
We have used our magics to conceal our whearabouts from the inhabitants of what we have learned is called "Grid". It has been agreed by concensus that this is the wisest course of action. In this way we can learn how to adapt and blend into the population of 'residents'. This is an easy task it seems, as Grid is sparcely populated and many times in our wanderings we have encountered vast tracts of land devoid of any signs of life. Whole cities or complexes without a living person to be seen.
At other times they seem to be closely packed together in groups - and although seemingly alive, do not interact with each other or any passerby.
By our estimation, we have been here on what we have called Phaedran (after our beloved home world) for 93 cycles of the day. It is difficult to accurately assess this however, as it seems to be a simple matter to change the course of time in a forward direction on Grid for we have seen residents doing this, and overheard them discussing changes they are making - trying out Sunrise or Midnight.
Upon awakening from the fall, we discovered that 48 of those who were in the complex at the time the dimension rituals were invoked, have survived with us. Sadly, 26 others either died almost immediately, or succumbed to injuries or shock within days of the event.
Of the surviving 48, I am the sole Master Scribe to have survived. There are 11 Magicani (4 Initiates, 6 Karel and 1 Master - myself), 18 Philos (8 Initiates, 7 Karel and 3 Masters), 4 Technogica (2 Initiates and 2 Karel) and 14 sedante. The loss of our Master Technogicans is a bitter blow as this Guild is the one we rely upon to construct our sanctuary here - they were our best architects and engineers. Their knowledge and wisdom is now lost to us at our time of greatest need.
The most disastrous blow to Phaedran prime is that Cabir Thorn fell with us. As the elected leader of the Phaedrani population and Most Revered Technogican his loss will take many months to overcome. He does not fare well since the Fall, having sustained severe injuries and sadly, we do not expect him to survive for much longer. We will attempt to inter his spirit into a Cryocryp. The cliff which now severs our main Plaza will serve a good purpose in holding what Cryocryps we can construct. As long as his spirit glows, there is hope to resurrect him.
The Magicani report that their stocks of magical focus materials are solely what they carried on their persons through the rip. Only 3 books have come through with the Philos, and none of the training materials and apparatus has survived for teaching. In addition, much of the equipment and tools needed by the Technogica is either completely destroyed or is damaged. Few of the raw materials for magic or construction seem to exist on Grid, and we may have to explore more for alternate means to continue our work - and hopefully return home.
Strangely though, the dimension machine itself has survived completely intact, and light continues to flow through the planes of the crystals. The Technogica are unable to explain this, but the Philos are of the opinion that this fact alone indicates that the rip still exists, and that it poses a danger for everyone in Grid and on our home world.
We have already experienced periods when Grid seems to disappear completely (what we have termed a Grid Event), to reappear shortly thereafter with some subtle change. Items which we had in our possession prior to going to sleep will be nowhere in sight when we awaken - but may appear again exactly as when last seen following the next Grid Event.
At times, when we set out our tools or other objects they fail to appear instantly, sometimes taking up to 10 seconds to form - or not forming at all. Other times we notice that the local people - and in fact each other - are flat grey in colour. This is a very strange and disturbing event and tends to substantiate the theories of the Philos.
We have secured a number of places around our new Phaedran, hiding them with magic, or trying to ensure that they are difficult to find or enter. It is critical that this Journal be kept safe, along with our remaining books, relics, icons and technologies. If they should be found by unknowing people, they could cause changes to the society that would be irreversible and fundamental.
I will attempt to update this missive as often as possible, but as I am one of the surviving Elders, I may soon have to entrust the task to younger hands and eyes.
Cor'Zanth Aren
Master Scribe of the Guild of Chroniclers
Elder to the Council of Phaedran
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