Journal of Crunch, Day 289c

-day289-C:
We have located a secret river entrance to the facility and, thanks to Sztuczka's technical knowledge, destroyed it. This action also slaughtered a large amount of fish. We then traveled deeper into the facility by means of the former riverbed and located another underground dock. It is here that we met a pirate named Nathaniel, who appears to be in charge of some quantity of pirates in the facility. Engagements in discourse with him have not led to a mutually-agreeable situation. He does not believe an aboleth to be on the premises, and demands compensation for the loss of his personnel and equipment. While compensation seems reasonable given the circumstances, we are unable to pay the required amount.

Ragnarr then made an attempt at mace-based diplomatics, which did not end well, and thus delayed the discussion until Nathaniel's pirate forces could be neutralized. During this combat, Azan lost control of his body and battled against us. Thi I was unable to effect repairs to him at the time due to entrapment inside a spherical wall of magic. Fortunately, Azan is still alive and of sound mind. Nathaniel and his bodyguard are effectively secured, and we are currently engaged in generating an inventory list of the goods in the area. No further gunpowder has been found, however, Ragnarr has expressed great joy over the discovery of a cask of alcohol.

An item of note: Nathaniel claims the crystal prisons in the facility are not of pirate construction; they have existed here for as long as the pirate forces have inhabited the facility (at least 150 years).