Upcoming Mission

Like any populated location, Wolvenfang is home to some good sized events. This coming weekend there will be one called 'Frostbite.' I realize what you must be thinking; injury to the body after excessive exposure to extreme cold, sometimes progressing from initial redness and tingling to gangrene? To injure by frost or extreme cold? (1) Is this a testing facility event?

No, I dare say it is not. It will be a regular gathering of folk from all around to celebrate the end of term of the Wolvenfang government. Team Three were the ones who first discovered when this was going to occur, though of course we were already aware that such things did happen. Now that the date has been recovered in our information I shall personally be going myself to see how things are in the Duchy. This will not be my first trip into the town but I should hope it will be my most informative!

-Renford

(1) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/frostbite?s=t

Undead Findings...

There is a lot of information to be had from the undead we found back at the SSW-Wolvenfang outer ridge. Fully categorized, documented and now onto testing, my team is constantly making new discoveries about these...'individuals.' There will be more official reports about them and more information released as we go but for now I have been told the following;

The undead samples are all closely related to the human anatomy-it is most likely [Team One speculates] that all undead in this group were of human origin. Of course, just looking at pieces of them scattered about could lead to any humanoid creature but these, at least, are determinately human.

All of these individuals originally died [prior to their wizard encounter] from slashes or piercings. From the types of wounds and their depths it appears a sword was behind these wounds. Whether they got the undead disease from the sword or died and then became undead, however, is uncertain.

That is all for now.
-Renford

The Fifth Team

The Fifth Team in our group is less of a team and more of a basis of support for the rest of the group. These individuals are the people who run the errands, cook, clean and lend a hand where needed. A Mrs. Mallow leads her tight knit team in the day to day activities of our base. They are all experienced lab assistance-knowing their way around the basics of lab work. Most of them have cooking skills and all are adept at organization-a skill I should always like to improve myself!

Without them I am positive most of my crew would go a couple of days between meals and rest periods. There was a length of time where the head of the IHS field team and myself debated about bringing along such a team, the size and as to whom should be in charge. We, all of us on this mission, feel very grateful for Mrs. Mallow and her team being here.

Really.
-Renford

Renford Vlog #5

Today, we divide!

Team Three officially leaves! The men and women of this team are now just saying their good byes and will shortly head out towards Wolvenfang. I hope them a safe journey and many answers.

In other news, with the distractions of teammates leaving soon to be gone our scientists will hunker down to get some answers. They have information in front of them, they just need to be able to discern it.

-Renford

A Note on Team Three

Today Team Three begins getting ready to depart from the rest of the group. Together, we have spent months preparing for this journey. With them they take very little. Doctor Bell is a very organized individual and with Doctor Gran's ability to write a very good schedule/system [as I am sure some of you are familiar with] now that they have started there is nothing to stop them from being ready to go at their projected time: tomorrow, midday.

With them their eight team mates follow diligently. In total they only bring enough clothing and food to sustain them as well as enough paper to make their daily notes. Everything else they need they carry in their head.

~Renford

Team Four

Team Four in our band of merry scientists is one of the most important groups-we could continue as a group without teams one-three but we would be lost without Team Four. I do not say this in anyway against the first three teams but I am sure you will understand once you read the explanation of the team. 

Team Four is our security and our defense. Every one of my men has had the basic training needed to be part of the IHS; being in some way, shape or forum connected to the IHS, you yourself will understand. Team Four is specifically tasked with keeping individuals safe. They were the ones who found the cave and those who live on the out most part of the cave are with Team Four. They are the individuals who pose as hunters, monitoring the area to constantly check for dangers. One member from teams one-three are also assigned to Team Four. Although every individual is to keep their own safety as much as possible, these individuals are to report any issues regarding security [that they themselves cannot handle] to the Team Four captain.

In charge of this group is none other than Captain Pennant, the third man under Lieutenant-Colonel Therein [who is in charge of the Northern IHS branch]. Any of my coworkers at the Northern IHS branch will know both Lieutenant-Colonel Therein and Captain Pennant; they run a tight ship and, not being able to go himself [as everyone should know why, by now], the Lieutenant-Colonel sends the next highest ranking officer who he can spare. We are lucky to have the Captain with us.

-Renford

Tests

Multiple times I have mentioned the testing my team will be doing on the samples collected yet have not gone into much detail as to what types of testing shall be actually happening. Until we have results, specifics won't be possible but I can, at least, allude to the types of testing done.

For the undead samples [the crowning point in our expedition so far] we look for;
-the basic structure of the undead pieces, how closely they relate to humans
-any differences between the undead samples; are some more affected than others?
-how does living [not undead] tissue react* to the undead condition**
-how do the different animal and plant samplings react to the undead condition
[These are a few of the steps, so you can get an idea]

*how fast and in what ways the undead condition takes to living or dead tissue will give us an idea of how long it takes for living humans to become undead. This will be helpful if ever we come across victims who have been contaminated. We will have a better idea as to how long they have before this illness takes over. It could be years, though we suspect no longer than days. 

**this is what we are naming the issue that makes regular humans undead, until we have a more official name, anyway.

~Renford

Prior to testing...

For the most part, my team and I have settled down in the base. Things are beginning to run as a proper operation should and a routine is coming into place. Each member is fully aware of their task, of the goal of this operation, and are moving to make it happen.

With that said, all samples have properly been categorized and official testing can begin. There have been a few tests run already-as some samples risk changing too much as time passes-but henceforth continuous testing will begin. The experiments some of the team have planned should prove to be very interesting. 

-Renford

Renford Vlog

Guard Duty

I mentioned previously that the front of our main base [MB] is disguised as a squatter's den where a few of our individuals are stationed under cover. This is to prevent individuals from intruding on our work. I wouldn't say we are under cover per se; but we would work best without the public eye on us. If undead come this way it is unlikely they will discover anything beyond the little stage in the front of the cave. Wild life will be kept away by the movement of individuals in their potential dens.

Along with these individuals there are also a few scattered in close proximity. They are under cover as hunters or scouts looking for wildlife. They will bring back any food they find but will also keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.

More on this later,
-Doctor Renford

Team Three begins

My third team begins organizing their efforts for their up coming journey. Together they will return the way we came-heading back toward Wolvenfang to set up camp. We want them to have a second base [B2-base 2] some distance from us as to lessen the amount of coming and going from the main base [MB]. Once they have set up camp they will start phase two of this expedition and move freely within the duchy. 

As they work on their own mission, sending constant updates as thing occur, the rest of us will fall into our own pattern. We will begin testing the samples, taking notes and creating more theories about how and what it is we are dealing with.

-Doctor Renford

Base, sweet base?

After a day of cleaning, the cave is beginning to look like something we can use. We put up the fake wall and have sectioned off the cave for each team plus living quarters. The samples, as they were recorded and packaged when we took them, were easy to organize. Now that we've gotten the layout down, things should fall into order and routine very soon. I expect that team three should be mobile within the week.

The cave is even larger than we originally expected. It appears more a tunnel than a cave. We shall use this to our advantage. 

Without anything else new to report, I will get back to assisting the team as we all need to do our part.

-Doctor Renford

Finally, a base!

Not that we had been searching very long-perhaps two days worth-when we finally found a cave suitable for our base. In Wolvenfang the terrain is very mountainous-or rocky, anyway. This creates many cavernous spaces and thus perfect places to create our little base. With so many in the area I am sure you are curious why we did not find one sooner. Unfortunately; though plenty, they are varied in shape and size. Too low and we can't work properly. Too short [in terms of its depth] and we can't all fit. 

The one we have seized is even larger than necessary, which has altered our plans a good deal. A small amount of our security team [team four] will be placed in the front of the cave to look like cave dwellers. They will have the front of the cave set up so that it looks not only smaller but much lived it. Rugs, beds, barrels and even a makeshift kitchen will be thrown together in order to give the proper illusion.

-Doctor Renford

Team Three

Not having had much down time lately, I realize that only the first two teams were spoken of. Today I would like to mention Team Three, as they become important when Part Two of the expedition begins (though they have already been rather useful).

This team is lead by Doctor Bell, an Anthropologist and his research partner; Doctor Gran, a specialist in the field of Psychology. Together, they lead eight individuals who work together in both fields to understand the human aspect of this project. As the undead were human and as they plague human lands it is only right we have this side of the research covered. Unlike groups one and two, there are two individuals leading this group rather than one with two direct understudies.

Now, any of you who started with the IHS in the last twelve years will know Doctor Gran. As the head of the Psychology department within our aggregation, it is only right that he would be a part of this study. In his stead he leaves Doctor Graham, keeping his post covered while he is away.

When Part Two begins, they will be most invaluable.
-Doctor Renford

Returning to the Starting Point

We have reached the starting point of our journey and are east of Wolvenfang. With our excess of samples we head out some distance from the duchy where we will endeavor to find ourselves a cave suitable for our work.

Before our journey began we had group four scout the area and they reported several possible locations-now we look into them. With any luck we will have more than enough space and cover for our team.

Once we are settled...yes, that is when we begin part two of our expedition. For all IHS officers; you will want to refer to Book Two, Section C for more information. With the bodies we have collected we are ahead of schedule.

-Doctor Renford

Some sketches

Today we begin traveling East again. Before we packed up to leave though-we made sure we had everything we could carry from the first sighting of the undead. After the little event yesterday, I had a large amount of samples to gather-one of those samples were sketches. In order to get the most out of what we gathered, we drew the pieces as they lay before we collected them. Below is a small sample of what was sketched before packaging.

At the end of the trail...

After following the trail for almost two days my team and I had even more luck upon our side. Why? We find the source of the trail. That's right-we found the undead; and they weren't alone. In total there were approximately ten of them and they were beginning to surround a lone wizard. It was when I was starting to think the trail was becoming too spaced out that one of my scouts alerted me of the impending attack. Taking immediate action my team split-two thirds into observation mode and the rest into guard duty.
The battle that ensued was very informative; the wizard-who seemed the underdog took a few hits before besting them. Before the end, however, he attempted to reason with them in some way. Was he looking to end the fight peacefully? Had he been working with them? It's too hard to say. But the battle only lasted a few minutes and before I knew it he was gone-disappeared.
Quickly my team and I over took the scene and gathered everything we could. In total we were able to gather two intact undead bodies and twenty three different undead components-heads, legs, etc. We gathered material and plant samples as well.

At this point finding the undead (although far beyond expectations and fantastic for our research) has created more questions than it has answers. Unless we assume the undead found this random wizard wondering in the woods-why was he speaking with them? Were they ignoring him willingly or unable to hear? Why were they going east? And most curious are the tabards the undead were wearing, for they were from Wolvenfang.

On following the prints...

We've gathered all the information we possibly can from the original sighting of the path. This morning we began moving again-both in the direction we had meant to go and along the path the undead have made for us. That they both lead the same way is...convenient. Unfortunately, due to the nature of this endeavor we must continue to stop every so often in order to gather the samples we had originally come along this path for. It is...difficult, I admit. I should much rather run ahead and find the source of the prints but I will regret it afterwards. 
As there is a scouting team heading in the opposite direction to find the source of the prints I can not divide the team up any further while on the road. They should be returning to us within a day or two though, as their latest messenger spell suggests the trail begins to grow cold due to interference and weather conditions. If they return before we reach what I predict to be a small horde of undead I shall send another team forward...but hopefully we can reach them as a group.

Quick Update

A quick video update on the biggest lead my team and I have gotten in this expedition.

-Renford

Tracks in the Snow

What I mentioned yesterday...it was a set of tracks. I won't go into the specifics of how we can tell, as that shall be in the report, but from what we can discern-it's undead and it's human. I have a few of my men sketching and taking measurements (as in the snow it's impossible to make a copy of any kind). I also have several small groups searching for specific samples of plants and animals in this area. We will call this 'Area A' as the first area we have for sure encountered undead near Wolvenfang.

For now we gather intelligence...but shortly we will begin to follow the tracks. I will also be sending a small scouting team-part of team four (which I will eventually get into on this blog)-who will be heading the way the tracks came from. We want to see how far back the tracks go and get as much information as we can from this piece of evidence. Myself and the rest of the team shall head forward-where do these undead plan to go? What is their purpose? 

So many questions...we hope to get answered soon!
Doctor Renford

A sudden discovery...

I came onto the blog just now in order to tell more about our second team as not much has happened-and nothing of interest since my last post. Just two minutes ago though, my team found some very suspicious tracks leading east ward...

I believe this might be the beginning of the answers to many questions.

We will get more information to you when it is available.
-Doctor Renford

On Passing the South-Western Point...

My team and I have just reached the South-Western most point of Wolvenfang. Samples have been coming easy with very little issues. We have all fallen into routines that keep the expedition simple and easy to maintain and the research should be easy enough to conduct at this point-though of course we will continue to gather samples until we are finished.

The most interesting point to mention is that twice in the last three days the members on watch at night have heard something moving about. Two specially trained individuals have gone out both times and have been unable to find anything. Waiting until morning has brought us no luck either as each time the wind or weather had erased all signs of potential encounters. 

We will keep note of this disturbance.
-Doctor Renford

Group Two of the Expedition

One week ago I gave details as to the first group in my congregation-the collectors of plant and animal wildlife. Today I would like to make note of the second collection related group in my team; those who focus specifically on weather conditions and animal movement. It has been mentioned many times previously that animal movement/tracking should be kept with the plant and wildlife samples but I stand firm by the fact that cell based collection and movement watch style collection will always be divided in this exertion. 

Head of this team is Professor Watterson, a meterologist who lectures at an out of kingdom educational facility and is also a long time contributor to the 'Eye of the Storm' publishing company. He has worked with the IHS on and off for seven years; of note he was responsible for making the connections and suggestions for resolving the snow yeti conflict in the western regions some years ago. 

Working with him are Professor Toffel and Doctor Collins. Toffel is far advanced in the area of kinesiology and a superb scout where Collins is a graduate and teachers aid to Professor Watterson within the meteorology field. Four individuals of high rank in both scouting and kinesiology are under Professor Toffel's command, while three meteorologists are assigned to Doctor Collin's work.

More to come on the specifics of the two mentioned groups as well as the other individuals in the team.
-Doctor Renford

Edit

In my last post I included a brief summary/review of Professor Renford's latest work. Today I realize that I never cited my work and that the included piece has been left nameless. It is the work and review of Scientific journalist and Renowned healer; Professor Wellington. Many thanks to him for letting us use his review and many apologies for not including his name in the original draft.

A Note on Professor Knightly...

In my pre-expedition portfolio [hence forth referred to as-Initial Report] I have several pages worth of material on Professor Knightly and how his research will be of use to us over the coming months. Since the release of my report, however, Professor Knightly has published volume nine of his series `Disease and its Relation to Ecology: A Closer Look at the Mutative Diseases Effect on Plants and Animals.' Although I had made note of it's intended use, I would like to include a brief summary/review of his latest work;

"While continuing his progress in the ecologist study of disease, Professor Knightly broadens the horizon on scientific discovery. Where other scientists have focused on the general break downs of  cells and the comparisons between different species...[Professor Knightly] is the first to make the connections between the metamorphic similarities between the lysosomes in the Abies Concolor and the Sylvilagus Leporidae. The results he yields [...] opens up new understandings to the developments made through mutative diseases."

-Professor Renford

Video Entry #2

This is my second video upload for the IHS. Looks like we caught something on camera...if only it was something we actually wanted!

-Professor Renford