Since I've been in here, I'd only seen a gentle downwards slope, with the occasional sudden drop where the original structure has sunk, but over the last two days, we've been going steadily downwards, descending a slope which was built at a definite gradient.
The passage seems to go down for miles, with most of the hallways clear of debris, but we have had to stop and clear the way a couple of times. If not for that, I think the archaeologists would likely sprint all the way down there, killing anything in their way with a forceful shove, until they found what they were after.
I have no idea what to expect to find down there, if we're even able to reach the bottom. We could hit a solid wall that would take weeks to break through, and I'm not so sure I can keep myself hanging around here. As much as I would love to see the contents of the ultimate vault in this place, I am just as eager to move onwards.
We have found scattered statues throughout the ruin, particularly down in these untouched halls. For the most part, as far as we can tell, they depict what are supposedly the first five races of the world - Earthen, Mountain Giants, Sea Giants, Trolls and Tauren. It appears that the latter two were either the first to evolve, or were the first free races, not charged with assisting or defending Azeroth. I'm a little surprised to see those two races in the list, but I suppose they have all been around since at least as far back as the War of the Ancients.
Once again, I am being called to dig, and the diggers are all acting a little insane, as if they were dogs who could see their dinner on the other side of their cage bars, so I had better get to it.
-- Atherya Sunleaf
Words cannot describe what we have just encountered. We are almost certainly near the vault chamber. We broke through into a huge circular room, lined with dormant Earthen. It sent chills up my spine - their eyes moved. Despite the fact that they did not react to our presence in the same manner that the other Earthen we have encountered so far have, I couldn't help feeling particularly unsafe.
Of course, that might have had something to do with the enormous stone giant in the centre of the room. I cannot tell what is truly stone from what is simply asleep!
Some of the archaeologists ran towards a stone pedestal stood before this giant, and began to channel some kind of magic into it, and before long, that very same stone monstrosity came to life. It killed one of the archaeologists immediately, and badly wounded another, but myself and the other mercenaries leapt to their defence as quickly as we could. It took a long time, and it was exhausting work, but we managed to bring it down. Though not before it awoke some of the dormant Earthen to attack us, too.
We cannot venture onwards tonight after that attack. I am having a hard time adjusting to the fact that one of the archaeologists died, and I blame myself. I know that I shouldn't - none of us, not even the more seasoned warriors, had expected that thing to suddenly come to life and kill so easily. But it is something that I will carry with me forever.
We will rest here tonight. Then we will continue onwards. Half of the diggers are practically foaming at the mouths, but the leader of the expedition has ordered them to stay put. It'll be interesting to see whether they do or not.
-- Atherya Sunleaf
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