#uso-06

I have spent almost three years down here now. Sounds insane, thinking back on it. The only reason I have any inkling of the passage of time is via the calendar on this logbook recorder. I’ll forever be grateful that I’m using an older model, one that doesn’t require charging in order to work. Well, I would be able to charge it now, but that would mean almost two and a half years worth of research would be left in the dust. How I have electricity and incredibly weak internet down here now is a very different and very long story, and I’m getting off topic enough as it is.

Having spent so long down here, I’ve become quite familiar with the ins and outs of this unique ecosystem, and today I had an epiphany that finally pulls together a wider theory I’ve been constructing on one of the natural processes of this place; the circulation of raw magic.

Raw magic, in of itself, is a compound that I’ve been unable to fully understand, but it’s the backbone of almost everything down here. I’m not a chemist, so I cannot break down what exactly raw magic is or what exact chemical reactions are occurring regarding it, but it is essential for many of the biological processes that the USOs perform. In the present day, raw magic is most easily found condensed in pools of the stuff scattered all throughout these underground caverns. The vast majority of them are located in Waterfall and Hotland; the deepest regions you would be able to find here. Still, if this were the only source of such an essential compound, magical life would only be able to sustain itself within the vicinity of those pools, and as this is clearly not the case there must be some other form of residual raw magic present in the other areas. I have spent a bit of time trying to narrow down where it is settling in these other areas, and can only conclude that it is, in fact, everywhere. Traces of it can be found in the soil, in the water, in the plants that grow here, even in the very air. But, how? How can it travel so far, especially with the pressure within this barrier-sealed mountain forcing it to condense into liquid?

It was today, a few weeks after posting the first Poltergeist entry and rereading it with fresh eyes, that I had my realization. Poltergeists have always been quite the enigma to me. A creature that does not eat and cannot be eaten, which has no body to decompose when it perishes, and has no method of reproduction; what niche could such a creature possibly fill? What purpose could they possibly serve to the greater environment of this strange and resource-hungry world? Well, Poltergeist’s are the only creature to frequent the raw magic pools, returning to them day after day to replenish their misty, incorporeal bodies. It is these very incorporeal bodies that allow raw magic to spread throughout the underground, with the Poltergeists leaving traces of it behind in their wanderings. The raw magic then floats about in the air, settles on the ground or in the water after some time, then seeps through the earth to eventually find its way back to the pools, or perhaps form a new one should the concentration become high enough. USOs recycle this raw magic in their own way too; via respiration, digestion, and the small amount of magic they do not reabsorb after casting their refined “spells”. It is in this way that Poltergeists, once considered pointless wisps with no ecological niche, are revealed to be one of the most critical species for the health and development of Mt. Ebott’s environment.

…There is something else I have theorized, however. Something perhaps a bit more… concerning. You see, I’m quite sure that raw magic does not exist anywhere else in the world. However, there is no indication that this mountain specifically is what cultivated the primordial creation of raw magic, considering also that many magical species have evolutionary remnants of adaptations meant for life in the forests, oceans, deserts, and mountains of the surface world. Taking into consideration the magical barrier that surrounds this place, which almost certainly was not always present here, the question becomes thus: how did all of the world’s magic (and magic-based creatures) end up under this specific mountain in the eastern United States? And was it always distributed in the way that was described above?

My hypothesis is no, it was not. Over time, the pressure buildup would have been what caused the current state of raw magic distribution, but I believe that in the past (perhaps when this strange barrier was first formed), all of the world’s magic was sealed away in this very place, which would have been an absolute nightmare. Raw magic swirling about every corner in its gaseous form, blanketing every nook and cranny in a white mist ready to explode at even the slightest disturbance. Any form of casting would obviously be too dangerous to even attempt, and the air would be thick and much more saturated than it is currently, making it much harder for USOs to breathe. This would be a more extreme environment for the many USO species that would have existed at the time, perhaps driving some of them to extinction? And as for water-based life, like plants, animals, and humans, it would be… inhospitable, to put it lightly. I have spent my fair share of time around raw magic pools, and I can say from experience that too much exposure to the substance is not very good for one’s health. I’ve certainly learned my lesson about getting too close, though perhaps not soon enough. The effects of prolonged exposure are still uncertain, though I can say some of the long-term effects have included a weakened respiratory system and some sort of adverse effect on the circulatory system. I am not a doctor, so I cannot exactly diagnose myself with anything or figure out what exactly it has been doing to me, but needless to say I am not exactly the picture of health right now. Not to worry, though! I’m sure I’ll be fine. I just… have to get out of here sooner rather than later.

Species Name: Poltergeist (Animo caligi) Habitat: Waterfall, City of Stone Average Height: A- ~3-4 ft/0.92-1.21 m Average Weight: A- 0 lbs/kg Diet: Autotrophic (raw magic) Temp. Regulation: ??? Abilities: Incorporeality, projectile conjuration, telekinesis, possession, invisibility Disposition: Unpredictable Threat Level: Varied

USO-06A: An incorporeal organism that resembles the common depiction of a ghost. Their bodies appear to be made of a white mist, constantly shifting around even when they are otherwise still. They lack any clearly defined limbs, simply floating a few inches off the ground. The only feature appearing somewhat solid on their body is their enormous white eyes and the black ring markings around them. The purpose of the black markings is currently unknown. Usually quite passive, and not particularly threatening in this state.

USO-06A migrate between areas often, but are most commonly wandering about in Waterfall. I have never seen them eat or drink, but the frequency at which they visit the few pools of raw magic I’ve found leads me to assume that they somehow get their energy from those, perhaps through a process analogous to photosynthesis. Interestingly, a few of the specimens I’ve encountered have been able to communicate in English, and I was able to convince one to sit down for an interview. The audio log of that conversation got corrupted, unfortunately. They weren’t much of a talker, but I gleaned some valuable information on USO-06B, which I will include in that entry.