East Lapis is quickly becoming a ruined city... Famine and drought plague us. Thankfully, Uncle Dreadbane, as Sadie calls him, has taken us in for the time being... although this blessing may be a curse in disguise.

He carries that hammer everywhere he goes, hunched from the weight. I always hear him in the hallways, dragging it around, huffing. "It's for protection," he says. "They crawl below. I hear them. From the hollow core..." It's downright creepy. We need hope, not horror stories!

He went to fetch water from the well nearby, but it's been hours, and I'm worried. I'd go and check, but I think... I hate to admit it, but I think I hear it too. The crawl below...