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We arrived today in a new land, and while we have a singular purpose, it feels only right to document everything we discover. After all, any new findings could greatly benefit the Empire. The first thing to note is that this land is not as uninhabited as originally believed. Alongside the dwarves we are pursuing, there's also a small band of humans. More interestingly, there is what appears to be a Zamorakian presence here. Given this activity, the Carnifex Maximus is keen to keep our work a secret, so has requested we find a secluded location to make camp.

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The venators worked their magic again. They have found some isolated woods on the far side of this new landmass, hidden behind some mountains. We will not be disturbed there. The Carnifex Maximus has ordered a camp be constructed at once. He does not wish to waste any time in beginning our search for the dwarves. However, said dwarves may well be the least interesting thing about this land, for the woods where we are making camp are also home to some ruins. When time permits, I will be sure to take a closer look.

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The camp is complete and the venators have been dispatched to locate the dwarves. In the meantime, the rest of us have little to do but wait. The Carnifex Maximus doesn't entirely approve of my desire to investigate the ruins, but he is being far more amiable than usual. He knows that many disagree with us being out here. He claims the target to be a danger to the Empire who cannot be allowed to live, but it's hard to ignore the role the Carnifex Maximus' pride may be playing. After all, this is the first time anyone has escaped his axe.

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My exploration of the ruins was a great success! The most exciting of my discoveries is the fact that these ruins belonged to a previously unknown race. Also of interest is the fact that the extinction of this race seems to have been fairly recent. In fact, there's some evidence to suggest the Zamorakian presence we encountered before might be partially to blame, though further investigation will be needed to be sure. There's a strange ritual site on the western age of the area that seems worth exploring, though that will be a job for tomorrow.

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My discoveries at the ritual site gave me many answers, but many questions as well. This race used a language unlike any I've seen before, so understanding doesn't come easy. However, it seems that while the Zamorakians played a role, the extinction of this race was actually caused by themselves. They attempted something. It's not clear what exactly, but whatever it was, it didn't go well. To learn more, I've collected a sample from the ritual site to investigate.

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It seems my eagerness may have come at a cost. The sample I collected from the ritual site was carrying some sort of parasite, and of course, it was the Carnifex Maximus himself who ended up getting infected. He showed little interest in my work, right until I told him it had the potential to kill. That got his attention right away. The timing couldn't be worse, for the venators have also located the dwarves. The Carnifex Maximus should be resting and recovering while we deal with the parasite, but he has insisted we prepare to hunt down our target.

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They attacked! The dwarves must have tracked the venators, for they found our camp with ease. Most of our party is dead or injured, but the worst is what happened to the Carnifex Maximus. They took his head clean off! He's a vampyre! It shouldn't have been possible, but they did it all the same! The parasite must be to blame. It's far more dangerous than we thought, and I fear others may be infected as well. Many have claimed to be feeling strangely unwell, and one of the legionaries even started having visions. Of all things, he thought he saw the Carnifex Maximus' body move!