Forgotten Research Laboratory/Notes
It is copied verbatim from Outward, and is therefore copyright of Nine Dots Studio.
The following is a transcript of the notes found at Forgotten Research Laboratory.
Scourge Notes
Immaculate
(#0) Ancient note: Those tall Scourge creatures who wield weapons...The Corruption seems to have done more than just mutate them from some animal... They are intelligent, powerful, unyielding in the face of death. (→ #1)
(#1) Ancient note: They know no fear, and feel no pain. These monsters appear to almost be designed to be perfect killing machines. They are, in a word, “Immaculate”. (→ #2)
(#2) Ancient note: I cannot avoid the conclusion that they must have once been human. Winds forgive us, and punish whomever did this to them, inflicting them upon us all. Nothing could have been worth this. (→ end)
Sublime Shell
(#0) Ancient note: These “Sublime Shells” as we call them...They are far closer to the jungle apes that the “Shell Horror” species seem to be corrupted from... But even smarter. Some of them appear to even be capable of (extremely) limited speech... (→ end)
Illuminator Horror
(#0) Ancient note: “Illuminators”...They puzzle us all. They appear to be like mobile plants, with no head or mouth to speak of...But their feet...They’re shaped like human hands... Even the “Pure Illuminators” follow no sensible biology and appear to be strange amalgams... (→ end)
Grotesque
(#0) Ancient note: These “Grotesques”...They are similar to Immaculates. But they lack intelligence of any kind, and hew closer to the plantlike Illuminators...Are they failed Immaculates? Or are Immaculates a superior version of the Grotesque? (→ end)
Library Note
(#0) Note: I’m trapped in here. That bastard let the Scourge tunnel into the place and catch us off guard. We didn’t realize our Golems had turned on us until it was too late. It’s only a matter of which kills me first, the Golems, or the Scourge. (→ #1)
(#1) Note: I can still hear them fighting each other in here...Even with the factory shut down, the Golems continue to follow their last orders...And with all the exits sealed, there’s no way out for me... (→ #2)
(#2) Note: All I can can do is catalogue the extensive list of horrible decisions that lead to this mess, so we won’t make the same mistakes agai-... (→ end)
Morgue Note
(#0) Note: Report: Every dissection of expired Golem Puppeteers is the same. The process of controlling the Golems inevitably leads to such Mana overdose that it causes complete organ failure. (→ #1)
(#1) Note: Please inform the commander to stop asking me to perform these dissections. It is a waste of time. We will gain no new information. (→ end)
Secret Notes
These notes are hidden behind various secret walls, which require pulling levers or interacting with other hidden objects to reveal them.
Note 1
(#0) Note: I understand that we need total control, and that the old command methods won't hold up. But we don't have enough people to keep throwing into that meat grinder. We can't keep grabbing people from the Lower Habitation district, it's not sustainable! (→ #1)
(#1) Note: Please, I beg of you. Listen to Lord Duvernay’s idea about making someone who CAN handle the command mechanism long term...I know it seems like a long shot, but it's the best shot we have. I’ll even volunteer if I have to! (→ end)
Note 2
(#0) Note: I have faith in the designs of the Golems. They can take a lot of punishment and really dish it out too. What give me pause is the control mechanism, sir. (→ #1)
(#1) Note: It jacks raw Mana intake directly into the puppeteer and keeps them comatose the entire time... This WILL kill anyone who controls the things for more than a few weeks, especially if they do not take frequent breaks. (→ end)
Note 3
(#0) Note: Attempt 1: Focal point – Mana Stone, Failure. The attempt to create a “Mana Lich” was a complete botch. Their organs completely burned to a crisp. I am unsure if it was a failure of the ritual, or if Mana is too general a focal point to create a Lich. (→ end)
Note 4
(#0) Note: Attempt 5: Focal Point – Golem Gearbox, Failure. Even with the alterations to the ritual, the volunteer did not become a Lich. I think it was a failure of the subject, not the ritual, nor the focal point. The subject needs to be of stronger will... (→ end)
Note 5
(#0) Note: Lord Duvernay flew into a rage at our failures, threatening to use US in the next ritual if we don’t turn out results. Winds-damned idiot. I don’t care if he’s the only noble who didn’t abandon the city, Harmattan would be better off without that fool. (→ #1)
(#1) Note: In fact, if he’s so insistent on turning someone into a Lich, he should be the next “volunteer”! (→ end)
Note 6
(#0) Note: Attempt 6: Focal Point – Golem Gearbox, Success! Who knew that Lord Duvernay had it in him! Then again, the self-righteous bastard is now an immortal, magically imbued creature with full control over our Golem army. This may not be an improvement. (→ #1)
(#1) Note: For now, his sense of duty to protect Harmattan keeps him in line, but I have no doubt that the moment he sees his chance, he will slaughter us all for what we did to him against his will. We need failsafes. Lots of ‘em. (→ end)
Note 7
(#0) Note: Success! The Lich can control the Golems just by keeping his Phylactery inside a control unit. At the suggestion of an aide, we’ve agreed to keep the Lich in an isolated containment unit, far away from his Phylactery. (→ #1)
(#1) Note: He makes an awful racket in there, but so long as we keep it properly maintained and the Mana flow to the internal barrier spell steady, we should be able to keep him in check. (→ #2)
(#2) Note: Finally, if the worst should happen, our failsafe will shut down the entire factory, and disrupt the connection between him and his Phylactery. Theoretically, this should prevent him from controlling the Golems or even moving his own body until we regain control... (→ #3)
(#3) Note: “Theoretically” isn’t enough for me, but it’s all we have. All we can do now it hope we never have to flip that switch... (→ end)
Containment Lab
(#0) Ancient note: Whoever was inspecting the Asset’s containment chamber before me was not performing the full checklist. I found at least 6 potential safety violations that could lead to a breach. Half the bolts on the Mana intake pipe are rusted! (→ #1)
(#1) Ancient note: I strongly urge you to sign off on immediate quarantine of the area until these issues are patched up and the Asset is moved to a containment chamber with ZERO metal! Make the pipes out of glass if you have to! (→ #2)
(#2) Ancient note: The Asset’s entire domain of power is over metal and machines! I understand that he is our only hope of fending off the Scourge, but if we do not take action immediately, we risk this immortal superhuman breaking free and slaughtering us all! (→ #3)
(#3) Ancient note: (The head supervisor’s signature is only half-completed. Something must have interrupted him...) (→ end)