My son and I have come far enough south and west that we can
see airships on the horizon. They are but small white glimmers and can only be
seen at dawn and dusk with the sun low on the horizon. My son has seen one for
the past three days with his sharp eyes, younger than mine, not pinched above a
radiascope or dulled from reading scientific journals in dim light. My son, who
acts as my assistant since the untimely death of my wife, also spots the arthid
carapids we are searching for before I do. He can make out their bodies, a
slightly lighter green than the blades of billow grass that they cling to, from
farther away than I can. With his help, on this trip we have captured and
catalogued close to a dozen new carapids in the arthid class. Arthids produce a
toxin that causes mutations during the cell replication cycle, giving them
great value to Legion chemists such as myself. We all require large amounts of
this toxin in order to keep our experiments going. Experiments that will be of
great interest to the Catalyst Foundation, helping them advance their own research
and helping the Legion reach their goal of conquest. Yes, despite my having
been exiled to wander the Tanglefern Thicket, I will aid the Foundation’s cause
and one day take my own seat on the Foundation’s Board of Governors.
Ah, but it has been an arduous road. My son and I have
journeyed long from Katena, crisscrossing through the harsh, dense vegetation
of the Tanglefern Thicket. After coming to Lake Inwyn, we turned south and
followed the Cerulean River from its source at the lake, skirting the edge of
Blue Hollow. We must be close to Anchorwatch now, given the frequency of
airships passing. Collecting the toxin from the small arthids is fruitful, but
slow and time consuming. The reason we have journeyed so close to Sidrani-populated
lands, enemy lands, is that we have heard rumors of a great carapid from which
we may harvest a large amount of toxin to satisfy the needs of a vast number of
experiments, speeding up our research. My son and I will soon venture into the
hills north of Sunbird Lake where the large, legendary carapid is said to exist.
If we may find and capture it, not only will my own name be on the tongues of
all the Catalyst Foundation chemists, but the entire Legion will recognize and
honor my work.
We will break camp in the morning and head west again. I
plan to turn back north at Sunbird Lake towards Fog Rend, and perhaps pay a
visit to the Carapid Ward at Hecatyn to exchange knowledge and hear if anyone
truly knows if this legendary carapid exists. That is, if they will receive me
and don’t kill me first.
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