On the clock

Killian, Lairion and I set out to the clockwork monastery. The travel went without incident for a change. Not too long a distance away. The sight of this monastery is certainly a marvel of engineering and magic. I can only hazard a guess as to how it works and I think part of me doesn't want to know either. Especially after the warnings I've received during my tutelage with Boris. As we make our approach, the structure appears to be stationary as if the mechanism that makes it move is broken. Beneath, there appears to be a shimmering light. I think our best bet is to just head towards it and hope for the best.
 
A teleport! How fascinating! We appear to have been received hospitably, which arouses suspicion as only very few in the whole of the kingdom are granted access to this monastery. The entranceway appears to be guarded by five constructs. Three of them look like simple guards and the other two are more formidable looking. Lairion and Killion ask one of the constructs to be let in. Unfortunately we are met with a series of unusual number sequences. The construct will only grant entrance to whoever is in possession of the specific number and a code.
-Note- during my time spent in the arcane workshop I have discovered much about constructs; how they function through engineering and magic. I'm currently working on some upgrades for Matilda. These constructs on the other hand, are difficult to interpret. The clockwork that drives them is immensely intricate. Similar to that of a music box. One bend in the prong and the music is ruined. Hopefully through this facility I will be able to increase my knowledge of this design.
 
We've found a way to cheat the code sequence by extracting multiple numbers at once. Ingenious!
 
Damn it all! I knew this was going too smoothly.
 
[Killian, Lairion and Krod engage in combat with all five constructs after trying to cheat their way in. The constructs treat the action of cheating as hostile.]
 
Ugh! Right let's see what I am dealing with... Drat! As suspected the clockwork is so intricate and delicate, any fieldwork I perform to deduce the function just ends up with broken parts. Oh well! I'll have to collect what I can on the way. As we move forward, we enter a giant central chamber with what appears to be a tree at it's centre. Curiously what is growing out of the tree is not leaves, but small cogs! The canopy is surrounded by four swarms of bees. Again these bees appear to be mechanical in nature, like the tree. I suggest we don't agitate these bees as they appear to be doing something in the tree. Lairion spots a passage to the south, so we decide to follow.
 
Upon opening the door, we see two steps leading into a void of sky. But suspended in the air about fifteen feet ahead of us is a floating room that presumably, should have been attached to the structure. As we have to do a thorough search of this monastery, it is only natural that we make our way across to the other side. Killian comes up with a previous idea we used, using rope to tether ourselves together. Killian leaps across first as I reluctantly agree he is the strongest. When he is over there, he will secure his line and help the rest of us across.
 
[Krod fails the jump and falls - caught by Killian. Lairion manages to leap across with no issue.]
 
OK, it's a store room. There are four chests to the left and right of the store room. Upon further investigation the locks on these chests have the same intricate clockwork as the constructs. Let's see if I can get these open. *********fill in later
 
[Killian makes the jump again and Krod fails again and falls. Lairon manages again]
 
After that wonderful ordeal I prefer to stay within the monastery for now. We follow a bridge to the south west. Killian has me looking out for traps. It's the wisest thing he's said to me in a long time. The next chamber follows the design of the first central chamber, only smaller in size and in it's centre is not a tree but a clock. The clock appears to be powered by water, but it has stopped ticking. Around the wall there are depictions of great creatures that I don't understand the meaning of.
-Note- Hydro powered clockwork. Utterly fascinating! I know I have no time to study these mechanisms, as we are on the clock so to speak. I must make as many mental notes as I can. Perhaps one day I can replicate these designs.
 
The bridge that leads off this room leads off towards the west. Killian has me looking for traps again. Thankfully we've not come across any. Within the next chamber is a workshop of sorts. There are alembics and vials scattered around along with various notes. Most of which are intangible. There is however a book that reads like a journal. Again time is pressing, so reading the most entry might give us some bearing on the situation. Unfortunately, the entire journal has been written in a cypher. All three of us move to the next chamber to the North, as I try to ascertain the key word.
-Note- It's nice to know that there are others that are like minded. I write all my notes in an ink only I can read. It's just frustrating when you're trying to discover the truth. I'm sure others will feel the same after my death.
 
Within the next chamber stands an hour glass from the floor to the ceiling. The sands have stopped moving. Clearly whatever has happened in this place, has stopped all mechanisms from working or has stopped time from working here. The hour glass, like the water clock, is another mystery we've yet to solve. A locked door leads to the East and another bridge to the North. We decide to head further North to find the next chamber to be a personal quarters. Nothing of note after we've searched the room. Immensely frustrating as we know have to go back and see if we've missed anything. I decide to have a closer look at the hour glass, the cypher will have to wait. Beneath the hour glass is a mechanism - very small but clearly missing a component. I'd hazard a guess it's what is growing out of that tree in the central chamber.
 
Gods! Blast it! Hells! The one time, the one time, we don't look for a trap!
 
We head back through the personal quarters to a bridge leading East back to the central chamber. There is a further corridor leading North from the central chamber so we decide to clear the monastery before proceeding further. The chamber to the North is absent of any point of interest. That doesn't stop us from setting off another trap though. I'm about done with traps!
 
We all know what we need to do now! It's just doing it. The moment we pluck the cogs from the tree, the bees will swarm us. I have a plan. I ask the other two to wait out of sight while I turn invisible and attempt to get the cogs. Excellent! The first cog lands in my hands perfectly and the bees don't seem perturbed...bugger!
 
[Upon trying to extract the second cog, Krod upsets the swarm and battle ensues.]
 
Well we've got the cogs now, shame about the bees. They looked fascinating. I would loved to have known what their function was. Killian, Lairion and I head back to the chamber with the water clock. I insert the cog and the mechanism springs to life. The markings on the wall move in a way that a lock has been opened. On to the next Chamber with the Hourglass and repeat the same method... Yes! It worked!... What was that?
 
The roofs of every chamber peel away as if they had been deconstructed. An unnatural scream follows as if the scream wasn't that at all but of grinding metal. This is bad. Large wings beat the air and we see it... Incredible! And terrifying.
-Note-This new gargantuan construct that has revealed itself to us appears to possess the anatomy of a dragon and a hydra. The head of the construct has three heads and the body arms, legs wings and a tail. They've taken the strongest aspects of both creatures and constructed a wonder of clockwork to behold.
 
I'm at a loss for words... I hope we survive this.