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To keep Project Deathwatch out of the public (and not so public) eye, Souriin chose one of the remote Bird Islands as its home. The island houses five large, single roomed huts made of shaped stone and wood. The facilities on the island are crude when compared those available at mainland institutions, such as the University of Craft and Thought. Except for the reinforced laboratory and the Scribing Hall, all of the roofs leak in the rain. The buildings are all gradually being improved. The Alchemy Lab is equipped with the best research equipment Souriin was able to procure. It has a small back room for storage of volatile material. There are bags of water suspended all around for quick access, and there is a bucket of sand in each corner. As a further safety measure, the sturdy roof is lined with another layer of sand. The Scribing Hall contains a number of books and parchments, and lots of writing paper. There are tables arrayed for writing. Permanent lights are left for constant luminescence, since some members of the Project prefer to work at night. At one end of the island, there is a fairly steep hill and a grassy area. Nearby, stone has been disintegrated to form a rough cave. Piled here are the bones of skeletons, and several cadavers. Also nearby is a fenced corral, in which stand dozens of complete, animated skeletons ready for further experiments. (Zombies are too much of a health hazard to keep ready.) The Project’s mages have recently acquired several sets of bugbear bones, and twenty new skeletons tower over the rest. The bones of a fire-giant were also acquired recently, but these are still being tested for resistance to chemical fire. There is a well in the centre of the island. One of the huts is a kitchen, and everyone participates in menial duties. The remaining two huts were built as sleeping quarters. Originally, one was intended for the men and the other for the women, but the members of Project Deathwatch have arranged themselves in the two huts without regard to gender. Construction of improved living quarters with private rooms is underway. There are a couple of boats for fishing and rowing to other islands. The Deathwatch mages trade money and other items for fish and fresh produce from the other Bird Islands. Visitors to Deathwatch Isle are highly unwelcome, and are scared away with mists and an odd bump on the boat from a water elemental. The island itself is constantly patrolled by six squadrons of three skeletons (one in each set with an explosive concoction in its skull). These skeletons are intended to raise the alarm in case of intruders. |