whippoorwill song

I take pictures of my desk and share them here. Also talk about other stuff. I'm a research assistant at PCU in Lovat, I smells like old books and tea. Tall. Decent cook. This is my journal. Updated whenever I get a moment—often at night.

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As you can see, I got a new light bulb for my desk lamp. Doubled the cost since last time. (Yeah, I keep notes of all my expenses. I’m that kind of nerd.)

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Last relic of the night, and its one I found! This little fella was in a refuse pile in the corner of an expansive old ruin we named the Family Home. It’s a lead figure; we assume, given the horns, that it depicts a dimanian piper. Not sure what the use was in pre-Aligning culture. It could have been a charm, a toy, a decorative item, or even a little house idol. There’s been some speculation and mounting evidence that, in pre-Aligning culture, house idols were extremely common. I could probably write a whole dissertation. This one isn’t in the best of shape, but it’s a rare object. This little find is going to a private collector. Hopefully I’ll get to see him again. Okay. I'm exhausted. Going to bed. Night y'all.

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Here’s a pretty gross "drinking cup." This one is staying at PCU and will be included in the museum's collection. Not sure if it’ll be on display anytime soon. It’s an interesting shape, and the spout is intriguing. No one has found any evidence about the symbol at the bottom of the bowl. Best I can make out, it’s three dots and what looks like an eye above a wave shape? Beaulieu thought the eye was “horned,” which, if that’s true, I’m just more confused. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. Not something I’ve seen in any of my research. Feels familiar though.

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Okay, I gotta know about the whole funding thing. Why are these items are going to private collectors? That seems insane to me.

Okay, you asked. Long story time. Settle in, kids. So, PCU can’t really fund extensive fieldwork like Professor A’s archaeological dig. So, it’s pretty common for Professors or heads of departments to reach out to benefactors for financial support for these kinds of projects. (My degree is technically in data sciences, and I just ended up working in Archaeology, and I am interested in history, so it works out well. The faculty lets me collate, catalog, and make copious notes, and I save them from that sort of work they hate. I don't have a degree in the department I work in, weird huh?)

At PCU, Archaeology is a department within a department within a department (we’re technically under Multispecies Ethnography, which is under Ethno something or other.) Essentially, what this means is our operating budget is even tinier. Apparently, this has encouraged the faculty to come up with creative solutions to the funding game.

Now, it’s important to note that antiquity collection is a big hobby for the upper class in the city. A lot of the elevated have extensive collections. (I’m not a journalist, and I don’t need the LLA to come down on me again, so I am not naming names. Sorry.) But they’re also not the kind of people interested in off-grid camping while spending your days digging in the mud and clay for most of the summer. (And, yeah, to be fair, I’m not either.) But they’re very interested in what we find out there. So, while it’s never explicitly said, essentially in return for supporting a dig, most donors will receive a relic or two to add to their private collection.

Is it an ideal situation? No. There are quite a few people who have issues with this system for a variety of often very valid reasons. I will say, from what I’ve seen, most donors are more than willing to loan the pieces back to the university should we need them. (And they’ll drop a big press release for the papers extolling their generosity.)

So that’s how our digs get funded and what happens to a variety of objects we bring home.

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Ah, the infamous copper “tool. ” I personally think it’s an axe, maybe even a pickaxe. But, copper would be an odd choice for that sort of work because it’s so soft. The point has been stained dark. Because of confidentially agreements, I’m not sure where this one is going, and unless it’s a public company I’ll probably never know. There were a lot of private individuals who bankrolled the dig.

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It’s been a while. Sorry for going quiet.

I’m finishing up cataloging pieces from the pre-Aligning archaeological dig I worked on. The one up by Colby. (Remember that?) Most of these are leaving the museum and going into private collections. (Long story.) But! I got permission to take some photos, so that way at least someone can see this stuff before it disappears behind country club walls and private towers.

The first piece was this sandstone carving. When I placed it on my desk, my lamp's light popped and burned out. So, I got to go get a new bulb tomorrow. It’s heavier than it looks, about double the weight of similar sandstone rocks. Professor A speculated that it might be sandstone around a core of denser material. Though a few of her colleagues in the geology department scoffed at that. Either way, it’s one odd rock.

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Maybe that was just an umbra?

I've never seen an umbra do that.

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More weirdness

Last night I was heading home, catching the monorail near Edminston after meeting some friends for drinks. I turned the corner and saw... this.

I immediately started to panic. But snapped a picture. I then turned to see if anyone else was around, and when I turned back it (person? monster? does it matter?) was gone.

My eyes were off it for less than a second. Poof. Gone.

Something has changed in Lovat.

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Confirmation from outside sources

This was in the Ledger today. I'll do a transcript below, since it's kinda hard to read from my photo. Basically confirms a lot of what I've been seeing and recording.

STRANGE SIGHTINGS AT WEST LOVAT EDGE By: Havin dal Urap Staff Writer Despite strict orders from both the LPD and LLA forbidding civilian access to the ruins of West Lovat, reports continue to surface of strange occurrences along the restricted zone’s perimeter. Anonymous sources—who admit trespassing—describe eerie figures moving within the collapsed levels, their forms defying explanation. The most frequently reported apparitions are figures with glowing faces, standing motionless or drifting through the rubble as if searching forsomething. Others speak of people bleeding freely from the face, neck, and shoulders, the wounds never clotting, neverstopping. Some figures do not bleed at all, but instead emit smoke from their heads, the thick plumes twisting unnaturally in the stinking and stagnant air. In addition to these disturbing sightings, trespassers report unsettling sounds emanating from deep within the wreckage: low, droning hums, occasional bursts of laughter, and distorted voices that seem to call out names. Even those who flee quickly claim to carry the noises with them, the echoes lingering in their minds long after leaving the area. “The only thing people are seeing out there is their own overactive imaginations,” said Lovat Police Chief Dumot Palladio. “The site remains off-limits for a reason, and anyone caught trespassing will be dealt with accordingly.” Both the LPD and LLA have issued renewed warnings that entry into the West Lovat ruins is strictly prohibited. Anyone caught attempting to access the zone will face arrest, though enforcement has proven difficult, as those who venture too close tend to disappear before officers can intervene. Authorities continue to insist that the so-called sightings are the result of trauma, stress, and lingering gas pockets from the Firstfall disaster. However, this has done little to curb the growing rumors that something unnatural has taken root in the ruins of West Lovat. For now, officials strongly advise citizens to avoid the area until it has been fully assessed, cleared, and deemed safe for public access.

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Masks Off

Well, the LLA is official. You all have seen my own struggles with them here. But the public announcement was made. And to think this was passed by the council, never would have thought I'd be aligned in principle with Councilman Akeley—ugh.

I'm small fish, but it seems they're already aggressively positioning themselves against the established leaders in the city. What's Magenez's end game here?

Here we are. The city has suffered a horrific tragedy, West Lovat is still a mess, bodies are being recovered daily, and she pushes through a private army?

I'm disgusted.

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Autumn Gala Rebroadcast

So remember that super weird Autumn Gala broadcast with the signal incursion? Well, it just so happens that 191.9 AZAH is rebroadcasting the Gala, and because of some city charter, they're forced to rebroadcast it as it aired with the weird interruptions.

It's now playing every night at 5:00 PM. (That's Lovat Standard Time, btw) The signal interruptions happen at the end of the second and third hour.

The Camalote Group is not happy about it.

The city seems excited, however.

If anyone can make heads or tails from the numbers and the voice and the song, let me know.

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Still around

Hey friends. Hope you're well. I'm still around. Just been busy. Lots of weird things to share, hopefully in the coming weeks if I can scratch out some time.

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At first, I believed the figure to be a woman, but then the tentacles began peeling away from where a face should have been. They unfurled and reached toward the light. As I circled her to get the photo, the tentacles were the only thing that moved. The figure stood frozen as if enraptured in the sodium glow.

I know we're a city of diversity, but I've never seen a species like this before. Lovat has always been a strange place, but it is getting stranger. Feel like Firstfall changed everything.

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(LIVE-ish) It's Autumn Gala Time (10)

Final entry tonight. Happy High Hallow everyone. I am exhausted. No more weird numbers or interruptions and the boring rich people ball is over. I got a party tomorrow—er, tonight—to attend, so I should get my rest. I'll share more thought when I get a chance. Thanks for hanging out with me.

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(LIVE-ish) It's Autumn Gala Time (9)

It's gone now. Has been for a while. I keep expecting it to return. So far nothing. How long do these things normally run? (I know a few ██████████ who have attended, but they've never talked about how late they go.)

[THIS ENTRY HAS BEEN REVIEWED, REDACTED, AND CLEARED BY THE LLA - SEE COL CHARTER §7266]

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(LIVE-ish) It's Autumn Gala Time (8)

Okay, I lied. I've kept listening and IT'S BACK. How is AZAH or Camalote going to spin this? One, Fourteen, Five, Twenty-Three? I'm no radio guy. But this is weird. And it KEEPS REPEATING! I'm not going crazy. Listen here: http://1919azah.live/public/1919azah

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(LIVE-ish) It's Autumn Gala Time (7)

Pay no attention to the weird thing that just happened we're back to the most boring broadcast in AZAH history. Still trying to figure out how to process that. I get electronics screw up, but that was… something. Something… weird, at least. Trying to pass it off as a testing message feels disingenuous. But for what purpose? Okay, I am tired. I've had a long day. I was expecting boring stuff but that… that creeped me out. Dunno what I was listening to, but yeah. I will back out for tonight.

If one of you is "brave" (foolish or bored, really) to listen to this whole thing and something else happens, please let me know.