I For One Welcome Our New Insect Overlords!

Hello Gnomegoers! I am posting the first part of a 2 part blog, as a large swarm of enemies is headed for my location, and I should only have time to post the first batch of pictures!

We made our way into the mine, and were a bit worried about the antlions that had made it their home. That is, until we found ourselves some heat.

Freeman still has a wry humor, and thought he'd celebrate our discovery of firearms by shoving me into a locker. I suddenly feel very bad for the boy we'd picked on in grammar school, who found himself in the locker so often that we began calling him lockergnome. He went on to have a failed career in television. So tragic.

As we descended, we discovered a very queer creature. It frightens me, and looks with eyes of hunger. I'm nearly certain that their stench will haunt me well into old age. The doctor believes that they're the larvae of the antlions, and suggested we destroy them. I immediately took charge and slayed the demon babies! While the fight was full of danger, I made swift work of the beast while Freeman cowered in the corner. It was then decided that I would be the official slayer of evil's spawn!


In fact, I've become very capable at slaying the beasts. Freeman may know how to dismantle their larger counterparts with his toys, but this gnome uses pure brute force to overpower the devilish beasts that the Doctor refuses to even touch the corpses out of frozen fear. Even taking this photographs, he was weeping in terror. I pity the good man, even if he is a sadistic humorist.

Speaking of his wry humor, Freeman seems to think that there's some kind of humor in teasing the hanging beasts using none other than myself! Oh it was horrible. I battled endlessly with the creature until Freeman fired a few bullets into it. Although, looking at the pictures now, it does seem quite humorous:

After making it out alive, I decided to go for a boat ride and dream of my beloved Alyx, and how she was doing in the care of our alien friend. Oh, how I missed her sweet blood-and-sweat aroma. The way she climbed into the loft at my home and fixed my power. The way she gagged at my gin breath as I leaned in to show her my art. Gordan quickly reminded me that we were on a mission to save her, so I quickly sprung back into action, gearing up for the poisonous demon swarms we'd soon face.


Dr. Freeman is beginning to show his heroism, though. I believe that the many corpses we've discovered along our way are a testament to our survival skills. Dare I say, we are more than surviving, but in fact waging war on the demons by ourselves? I am far too humble!

We did find a couple of the beasts I liked. Good fellows, they were. They told a few good jokes about a Xen couple exchanging partners with a human couple. It was quite graphic, and I must say I blushed. Funny folk, though. Sadly, I crushed them out of good measure.

More about our situation after the battle!

Tragedy...

Our day has become very sad, I'm afraid. Let me catch you up to speed.

The visitors I spoke of in my previous entry are a young Doctor Freeman and his beautiful friend, Alyx. (Freeman is very camera shy) They say they came from the Citadel, and were actually the cause of its destruction. A tall tale--I know, but for some reason I believe them.

I have a confession to make: I do believe I have fallen in love with the maiden. I know it's soon, but her eyes are full of mystery, and her hips speak of wonder this gnome has never seen before. It is unclear if she belongs to the Doctor, but my hopes are firmly set in the belief that she will one day be mine. This divulged feeling will be even more tragic as you learn of the events that have unfolded.

The pair urgently needed to send a transmission, but as you may recall, I have lost power in my shack, and had no way of restoring it. My new friends found a way, however. A simple plug was missing on the control board.

As soon as they had it up and running. Dr. Freeman and Alyx found the people they were looking for. Their conversation seemed important, so I gave them some privacy. All I know is that they had obtained the coordinates to the origin of the combine, and that they needed to get to The White Forest to launch a satellite with this information. I really didn't pay much attention, though.

Then the Doctor expressed a great deal of interest in me accompanying them in their adventure. Something about an accomplishment, or achievement he wanted to meet. I thought nothing of it, and gladly decided to come along. Dr. Freeman may not have been as talkative and charismatic as the Dr. Breen I know, but he certainly was good looking. I also agreed to leave my childhood home for selfish reasons. It would have me with my lovely Alyx. Oh, poor Alyx.

Freeman is an interesting fellow. He says he's a doctor, but in my time with him I haven't seen him do one doctoral thing! Our first trip out my door and he had already found a nasty creature. Much less, he used the fancy orange cylinder to bludgeon the creature with a rock. I happily posed over our kill.

The Doctor is not only violent in killing (something no doctor I've ever visited had done), but he also has quite a sense of humor. He asked if I wanted to go for something of a ride. Excited to show my appreciation for my new friends, I gladly took the invite. Little did I know what the Doctor had in store for me.

I rode a rickety train car at 2000 miles an hour down a 50 mile stretch and blasted through a ton of wood! All bruised and beat, my "friend" the Doctor only laughed at my misfortune! Even Alyx found humor in my pain. Some ride!


Still battered from Freeman's little joke, I decided to show my fair Alyx some of the art I had been working on. I am quite certain that she was impressed with my work, even if she was still congratulating the Doctor on his craftiness with the mine cart.

Then the horror began. Freeman was busy working us a way into the mines when Alyx and I were brutally assaulted by a monstrous 3 legged demon! Spikes through the waste, Alyx fell limp as the beast stomped on her!

As the beast escaped, the antlion vultures ascended on us. I held them off while the weak doctor recovered from a few bumps on the head. Just as I was taking care of the pests, an ugly creature with powers beyond even my own came to clean up the bugs.

This new creature was what the doctor called a "Vortigaunt." Whatever he was, he was a friend. He immediately swooped Alyx in his arms, promising to heal her with his companions deep inside of the mine.

I immediately rushed back here to inform all of you before I descend into the mine shaft I discovered for our party. I will update you more when I find a power source!