As I sit and contemplate on what is surely my last day of living, I cannot help but be in awe of what the Dwemer built. I like to think I have dedicated my life to understanding their secrets, not in some vain pursuit of an unknowable past, but in order to harness the technologies they left in the present.

The air in here is dry and my lips are parched, but I have vowed to press ahead. Perhaps I will find an exit. Perhaps I will find a control room for the defenses. Perhaps I will die of thirst in this desolate place. Whatever the case, I am prepared. It will be a grand adventure, and I will face it with my eyes open!

[There are a few drops of blood at the bottom of the page.]