Siptah's Journal

 are a series of scrolls in. They can be found throughout the Isle of Siptah.

Journal #1=

Location
On the western beach, East the Scavenger Coast in the middle of a shipwreck. North of the greenery of the Grave of the Leviathan.

Journal Text
''Day 5 of the month of Tobi, Year of the Gazelle

''The journey from Khemi has been uneventful, which was to be expected. Our small fleet is probably more than enough to deter any pirates or raiders.

''There is excitement among the group. As the sun was sinking, our captain informed us that when the sun rose tomorrow, we would arrive at the island. The high priest put together an impromptu ceremony in thanks to Set for our safe arrival and the Prince and his family were obliged to join him. I believe the sailors are still mopping the blood from the deck.

''I took the opportunity to slip below decks to my cabin and pen this missive. My wife Threa is asleep in the room, but otherwise I am alone.

''I must confess, I still do not understand why I was chosen for this honor. My position as a minor scholar and scribe at the court of does not justify this elevation to Royal Scribe and Advisor to a Prince.

''Or perhaps this is a form of Exile. It was not a popular decision to marry a Shemite noble. Threa is an outsider and Stygians do not like outsiders.

''I feel... uneasy. There is a tension in the air, a building pressure like that which rides before a storm front. In my heart, thunder rumbles.



Journal #2=

Location
Blacksail Harbor, on the northwestern side of the port, it's on the eastern side of a structure there on the port.

Journal Text
''Day 6 of the Month of Tobi, Year of the Gazelle

''Today we arrive.

''Before we land, I will summarize the information I have gathered about the island from sailor's tales, scouting expeditions, and reports from the early colonists.

''Geographically, the island lies just a few days southwest of the port at Khemi. From what I could glean, it has been used as a stopover by sailors for centuries as a place to gather fresh water and supplies.

''The sailors I have spoken to describe it as a vibrant place - with good timber forests on the eastern shore and high peaks on the western shore. Wildlife is abundant, though particularly fierce if the stories I am being told are true.

''And this is the real crux of things - the sailors also spin fanciful tales of dark shapes and ruins. Of an ancient city haunted by undead and mysterious structures that glow with unearthly light. And at the heart of the island, a tower built of material that no man has ever before seen.

''Our scouts have confirmed the existence of the tower and the ruins, though if I were to speculate from the descriptions, they are Archeronian in origin. If Acheron once had a presence on this island, then the stories from the sailors are more believable. Men have long memories of haunted Acheron.

''Threa has come to tell me to join them on deck. We are closing in on our new home and the Prince requires my presence.



Journal #3=

Location
On the East side of the island, there is a river that splits to two, along the northern river, you will see more ruins a bit north of it but if you go up any cliffs or mountains you've gone too far Strandwatch Keep.

Journal Text
''Day 6 of the Month of Tobi, Year of the Gazelle

''I have solved the first mystery! As our small fleet slid into the harbor, I immediately recognized the handiwork of the Archeronians on the stones of the small quay. Though the teams of masons who were sent to prepare the way have done a good job of restoring the stone, the docks were clearly originally built by the Archeronians.

''We have landed on the northeastern corner of the Isle, rounding a small island before coasting into the docks. From my position on deck, I could see the towering trees of the forest and the crumbling stone of a watchtower in the distance. I was disappointed not to see the silhouette of a tower looming over the landscape - but sailor talk is not always to be trusted.

''When we landed, Prince Amon-tet officially declared this to be a Stygian territory. He named the isle - The Isle of Amon-Tet. And the colony we are to establish is called New Luxur.

''All terrible names, to be honest - men who rule have no place naming things.

''The masons report they have been working on a site further into the forest that we will be able to move to those lodgings soon. For now, we remain aboard the ships in the relative comfort of our cabins. The leader of the masons, Bahk-hotep, is a solidly built man with a friendly smile and an easy manner. When I discussed the matter of the ruins with him, he told me that the lodgings they were building for us in the city were also built upon foundations placed by somebody else.

''And there was another thing he mentioned. A structure, unlike the others, in perfect condition. Made of a metal that he never encountered. So hard that steel tools do not even leave a mark in it's surface.

''He simply calls it 'The Vault' and it is this, more than anything that I look forwards to on my tour tomorrow.



Journal #4=

Location
On the western roof of the Chamber of Sacrements at New Luxur.

Journal Text
''Day 25 of the Month of Tobi, year of the Gazelle

''New Luxur! What a city this will be once our masons have finished restoring the stonework. The prince is pleased, the High Priest is pleased and even Threa seems pleased by our new colony.

''Now that we have established ourselves in the city, I have been forced to turn my mind to practical matters. The reasons for establishing this colony were three-fold:

''1. A naval base to reduce piracy and smuggling along the western coast of the kingdom. Our fleet will begin patrolling the seas and policing the trade routes with the Black Kingdoms to the south. With adequate timber and arable land, we can also begin to build more ships for the fleet. The long-term goal is to counteract the maritime might of Argos and Zingara.

''2. As a port for the merchant vessels that pass along the coastline. As the only reliable source of freshwater, we can monopolize the merchants and create wealth in the form of taxation. We will also have first choice of luxury goods moving up and down the coastline, which should keep our Prince happy.

''3. The third, unspoken, reason was to move a younger royal away from the intrigues of the capital. Prince Amon-Tet was known in the Stygian capital for his ambitions. By giving him this duty, his father has deftly removed any threat to his heirs, while giving the Prince the opportunity to prove himself. Deft politics, that.

''I've added a new goal to the mix - uncovering the mysteries of the island and their purpose. My duties as scribe and advisor do not take too much of my time and I am left to my own amusements. The city itself contains many writings and tablets from Acheron. Bahk-hotep leads me to any writings he finds and he makes sure his men do not destroy them.

''And the Vault nearby also calls for my attention, though the High Priest has declared it a holy site and is setting up an alter there.

''There is so much to see and do here, I cannot seem to find enough hours in the day.

''Threa, however, pines for home and family. I've told her that as soon as the colony is established, we can take a trip to Shem and visit. A princess of Shem in an arranged marriage to a lesser noble of the Stygian court - I cannot blame her. Perhaps I could bring her with me on some of my expeditions? I'll need to give it some thought.



Journal #5=

Location
South of New Luxur, by the Sanctuary of the Snakemen, outside on the North-Western Wall at the corner.

Journal Text
''Day 7 of the Month of Mekhir, Year of the Gazelle

''The prince led a delegation of us south through the forest today to visit the new watchtower there, the aptly named Southwatch Keep. Threa neglected to come with us, though I do feel that she appreciates being asked. She has warmed to me considerably since I made my recent overtures. Perhaps... but no, this is not the place to discuss my marriage.

''When we returned from our inspection of the keep, something had changed. The streets were abandoned and the guards on the city gate were missing. The prince dispatched men, who ran off through the streets, while we awaited for their return.

''Shaking, they guided us to the Vault entrance - where a crowd had gathered around the body of the High priest. his corpse was splayed across the altar, his stomach opened and his entrails spilling like a red waterfall down the side of the altar. It was as if some horrible cosmic haruspex had decided to do a reading.

''On the stone walls that had been erected by the entrance to the vault, something was scrawled in the priest's blood. Glyphs in an ancient spidery language that was chilling to behold.

''The prince and his family were shocked - though Amon-Tet was no stranger to blood. It was the death of the High Priest that shook him - an omen from Set that this fledgling colony might already be on the wrong track.

''Amon-Tet instructed the guards to clear the crowd - I thought I glimpsed Threa as they herded them away. I stepped forward and examined the glyphs on the wall and something tickled my memory, a phrase I had seen written on an ancient tomb beneath the Black Pyramid at Khemi.

''The Prince asked me what it said. I turned to face him and tried not to show fear in my eyes.

'' 'Heretic'.



Journal #6=

Location
New Luxur inside the Chamber of Sacrements, to the East of the Undead Scaleback Boss in a corner. A bit hard to see, might need to scale your graphics down as grass tends to hide it.

Journal Text
''Day 15 of the Month of Thoth, Year of the Falcon

''I have not found time to write in this journal lately - at least half a year has passed since the High Priest was murdered - and the cascade of changes that has wrought on this colony have been deep indeed.

''In the days after his death, we made a determined effort to enter the vault, but it would not open. The runes on the outside of the vault are in a script that I cannot translate and though it seems likely that there is some keying mechanism - we have yet to find it.

''As the shock of the death faded and the demands of the fledgling colony reasserted itself, the Prince dispatched a ship to Khemi to find us a new priest. But the ship has not returned and the consequences have been dire.

''What I have realized, these past months, is just how fundamental the worship of Set is to the order of our Kingdom. A Stygia without Set is a Stygia without order.

''When the fear of sacrifice is gone, when the punishment for transgression is forgotten, what then?

''We are seeing the beginnings of this on the island. In the Wake of the High Priest's death, it seemed as though cults were springing up across the entire colony. Some fell to worshiping minor deities of Set's pantheon - but others turned to foreign gods.

''Threa thinks it is admirable. Her eyes glitter with hatred as she speaks of Set and the cruelty of his religion. She has tried, more than once, to convince me to forswear Set and turn my faith to one of her foreign gods - Asura, I believe it was.

''As the religious unrest grew, we had other problems. Our logging camps have been attacked in the forest by 'mysterious beasts' if the survivors are to be believed. This has put our plans for an expansive fleet on hold - and in turn the revenue that such a fleet would bring.

''I have written multiple dispatches for the Prince, each one growing more and more desperate. He demands that his father send him more troops to 'tame the wild island'.

''As for myself - I have explored the ruins that are closest to new Luxur, but those ruins seem to point to a larger Acheronian city on the Western Side of the island. I have learned all that I can here.

''I've asked the Prince for support to make an expedition to the west - which he has granted - but only under the condition that I do not take any troops.

''Bahk-hotep has agreed to accompany me and, surprisingly, Threa has also agreed to come.

''We leave tomorrow.



Journal #7=

Location
On an overlook that looks over The Tower from the north, south of Towerwatch Keep.

Journal Text
''Day 16 of the Month of Thoth, Year of the Falcon

''I saw it today as we crossed the northern reaches of the Island - the mythical Tower. It stands at the heart of the island. It shimmers in the sunlight - the same alloy as the vaults, if I had to guess.

''We did not go close to it - alas this journey is about the Acheronian ruins and their placements.

''We should reach the other side of the island tomorrow if everything goes well. I am pleased to report that Threa seems to be coming out of her shell - the stoic Bahk-hotep endures her conversation with grim determination.

''But the tower! It fills my thoughts. Who built it and why? To what purpose? And why here, on this remote island?

''Perhaps the answers lie in the ruins of Acheron.



Journal #8=

Location
In the Ruins of X'chotl on a platform structure.

Journal Text
''Day 17 of the Month of Thoth, Year of the Falcon

''This place is something greater and more sinister than I had imagined! The city of X'chotl, according to the records I have found. Rules by the great and powerful Xanarus of Acheron.

''Now a weeping ruin filled with the shells of those who once lived here.

''Bahk-hotep has proven surprisingly adept with his hammer - crushing skulls as easily as he crushes rocks. Threa has also revealed hidden talents - I knew that she hunted in the grasslands of Shem before our wedding, but I had never considered that a woman could be such an accurate shot.

''I am perhaps the most useless of our trio. The minor sorceries that I have mastered are mostly of scholarly interests - allowing me to translate ancient languages and create light in the darkness.

''But what a lot there is to find here... I have already begun to piece together the story of the Acheronians. How similar it is to ours!

''They were sent to the island to establish a colony, just as we were. The towers and vaults, it is clear, existed before the Acheronians came. That means that they date back over five thousand years!

''There is more to discover here - tomorrow we will attempt to penetrate the temple.



Journal #9=

Location
On the overlook west of the Shrine of the Serpent on around the NW coast.

Journal Text
''Day 18 of the Month of Thoth, Year of the Falcon

''The history of this island is far greater than we knew. On a stone tablet within the temple of X'chotl I found the writings of an Acheronian scholar who had dedicated himself to studying the tower and the vaults.

''He speaks of the 'Elder Races' and the triumph of man. He mentions the Serpent-men and Valusia. These names make me uneasy, as if some ancient instinct, long unused, begins to awaken.

''He has also named the metal of which the vaults and tower are constructed. Eldarium. I found a decaying chunk of it here, in the ruins, and have been studying it myself.

''There is much to learn but time is my ally.



Journal #10=

Location
South of the Sanctuary of the Serpent in the Ruins of X'chotl.

Journal Text
''Day 20 of the Month of Thoth, Year of the Falcon

''Today I woke from dreams of darkness to a red dawn. The sun is rising through a pall of smoke - a plume that rises from the site of New Luxur. We must return to the colony - that smoke can only mean one thing.

''Prince Adom-Tet is dead.



Journal #11=

Location
In New Luxur, above the Chamber of Scales, on the third floor, sitting on the edge of a wall.

Journal Text
"Day 18 of the Month of Paopi, Year of the Falcon" ''Too much time has passed since my last entry. The affairs of the colony have taken precedence. With the death of the Prince, the people turned to me for leadership. I cannot think of a worse choice, but somebody was required.

''I lean heavily upon Bajk-hotep and Threa for advice. They are tireless supporters and the only people I can trust.

''The Prince was murdered, along with his entire household, during the night of the new moon. There are no suspects, no witnesses and no leads.

''The death of the Prince has sparked a kind of madness among the people of the colony. Many are demanding to return to the mainland and abandon the colony. Others claim that the Prince was killed by Set due to his delay in replacing the High Priest. They demand that sacrifices begin immediately.''

I have posted guards at the dock to prevent any of the ships from being stolen. I have placed guards around the Vault, which is where I believe the true threat lies.

''Through all of this, my dreams have grown worse. I see myself climbing the tower to the room at the top. I open the door of many locks and inside - a room of complete darkness and a whisperer within.

''All I wish to do is return to my studies. Understanding this island will be the key to solving our problems.''



Journal #12=

Location
Inside the hull of a wrecked ship at the end of a spit of land jutting out from the eastern coastline.

Journal Text
''Day 12 of the Month of Hathor, Year of the Falcon

''The fleet is gone. Mutinous guards working together with others of the colony have stolen one of the ships, and set fire to the rest. I came to the docks too late to do anything but observe the last of the ships burning. The angry, desperate faces of my people in the firelight do nothing to make me feel at ease.

''Threa tells methat we should begin building new ships immediately. Bahk-hotep argues that we should root out any remaining conspirators.

''There are no easy choices. I sent them both away.



Journal #13=

Location
Right outside the Circle of Ros-krana. Beware the Bear.

Journal Text
''Day 3 of the Month of Khoiak, Year of the Falcon

''Betrayal! My wife and my best friend... together.

''I should have known - I should have suspected. I saw them laughing and talking, sharing glances and smiles. I assumed it was the camaraderie of good friends.

''But last night I walked in on them in Threa's chambers - and it was clear that this was more than just a simple friendship. I confronted them - and they fled.

''But not alone, it seems Threa and Bahk-hotep have been playing politics of their own. More than half the remaining colonists fled with them, to the island off the northern coastline.

''There - away from New Luxar and the Vault - they hope to establish a new colony where the worship of Asura is paramount. Traitors to Set. Traitors to me.

''Tonight is the new moon. Tonight I will go to the vault and pray to Set for Answers.



Journal #14=

Location
Center room of the Chamber of Scales.

Journal Text
''Day 5 of the Month of Tobi, Year of the Falcon

''We have been on this island for a year.

''We have gathered the remaining colonists and spoken to them with the righteous voice of Set. I have never been an orator, but the words seem to flow from my tongue like liquid fire, igniting my followers to a religious fervor.

''The words seem to come from my dreams.

''Tonight we will march across the causeway and bring death to those who betrayed us. Tonight we will bring justice to those who have caused us such great harm.

''Blood for Blood.



Journal #15=

Location
North Eastern Isle off the main Island. The Gash has a few connections, it is on the Western Side of where it is signified on the map.

Journal Text
''Day 6 of the Month of Tobi, Year of the Falcon

''Silence reigns. The blood of a colony is on my hands. Only two people survived this night. I, Siptah, and my wife, Threa. Bahk-hotep, ever stoic, lies headless by my feat.

''Everyone else is dead. An orgy of blood and violence, a frenzy of a crazed battle, firelight and screams in equal measure.

''I am no warrior, but I knew exactly what to do and how to move.

''I am no sorcerer, but I blasted my enemies with arcane powers.

''I am only a scholar, I have studies to continue. And my wife, wherever she has fled, will remain alive, but trapped on this island until I have forgiven her.



Journal #16=

Location
Halfway along the Siptah's Contemplation walkway, near the north edge.

Journal Text
''Day 5 of the Month of Parmuthi, Year of the Dog

''The Silent streets of New Luxur were too much for me to bear. I have moved my base of operation to a tower that overlooks the central plain - Siptah's Contemplation. Such a grand sounding name for a place where I do busy work.

''Every night, I dream of the dark room at the top of the tower. Every day, I work to understand how I can get there.

''It has become clear to me that the Tower is much more than a building. It serves a purpose beyond being a dwelling or a fortress. It is a sorcerous nexus, but for what?

''I am mapping the leylines that run from the heart of the tower outwards. I suspect that the vaults exist along these leylines, but to confirm my suspicion I will need to so a full survey of the area.



Journal #17=

Location
On the ground near the eastern door into the Leyshrine of the Fiends.

Journal Text
''Day 12 of the Month of Pakhon, Year of the Dog

''The leylines do not lead to the vaults, but to shrines. Shrines like spokes on a wheel around the tower.

''These shrines are also made of Eldarium and I feel that the mystery of the metal is tied to the mystery of the tower.

''I have constructed a special bench for experimenting with Eldarium - a delving bench that allows me to dig deeply into the properties of the material. Contained herein are instructuction for the making of such a bench.

''Now I must visit all the shrines and learn what they can teach me.



Journal #18=

Location
At the southern entrance of Leyshrine of the Drowned.

Journal Text
''Day 12 of the Month of Epep, Year of the Dog

''Progress continues on translating the shrines. I have deciphered the story of the Elder races - I've made even more progress than the Archeronians.

''They speak of the shrines as places where they made sacrifice to the 'crawling chaos'. The word here is unclear, it could also mean 'maelstrom'. In return for their sacrifice, they were rewarded with 'bounty from across the realms'.

''I'm trying to understand exactly what they did, so that I can replicate the process.

''The whispers in my dreams have grown urgent, encouraging this line of thought.



Journal #19=

Location
At the north entrance of Leyshrine of the Demon.

Journal Text
''Day 17 of the Month of Epep, Year of the Dog

''The ritual failed. Though the instructions were precise and the quantities were adequate, it is as if the sorcery that powers the rituals is missing.

''Theoretically the ritual should cause a surge, that ripples across dimensions and summons something to this location, via the tower. But the power source seems to be missing.

''I keep finding references in the Elder scripts to 'Maelstroms' and 'storms', but I have no such thing since my arrival on the island.

''Perhaps this is what is missing. Perhaps the tower contained the source.



Journal #20=

Location
Outside the closed-off southern entrance to the Leyshrine of the Birdmen.

Journal Text
''Day 27 of the Month of Epep, Year of the Dog

''I have found guidance in my dreams and it was as I suspected.

''I have walked the vaults of the Elder Races in a dream, stepping softly to avoid awakening them from their aeons long slumbers. I have used their spheres of knowledge and I have seen their desperate attempts to escape from their mortal enemies. Humans.

''They are nothing more than remnants of a forgotten past - the last vestiges of a world long left behind.

''And yet, in their history I found the key I have been looking for. The first time they had it, they lost it to betrayal.

''Then they made a flawed copy - which almost drove them to their extinction - yet still worked enough to summon the power necessary. They created the vaults as a refuge from their own foolishness.

''I will make a copy of my own. And it will be flawless.''



Journal #21=

Location
At the southern entrance of Leyshrine of the Serpent.

Journal Text
''Day 9 of the Month of Mekhir, Year of the Elephant

''The construction of the artefact goes at a snails pace. To avoid the mistakes of the Elders I must proceed slowly and carefully - with each painstaking detail. Each facet must be carved and polished to perfection. It does not yet shine.

''But it will.



Journal #22=

Location
Along the cliff to the north east of the Harbor of the Twice-Drowned.

Journal Text
''Day 29 of the month of Mesore, Year of the Tiger

''I have completed the artifact and I am prepared to begin my ascent. But... I have unfinished business. Threa still lives on an island off the southwest coast. I wish to see her one last time.



Journal #23=

Location
At the south west island, one of the shipwrecks near the bridge.

Journal Text
''Day 30 of the Month of Mesore, Year of the Tiger

''It is done. I feel... better. The catharsis as I wrapped my hands around her slender neck while she slept. The widening of her eyes as she recognized me. The light in them dying as her death rattled out of her throat.

''My past is dead. I go to open the way.



Journal #24=

Location
Left of the entrance to The Tower.

Journal Text
''Day 1, Year of the Lion

''The Tower calls and I come. It does not call to me, but to the object I carry with me. But I am its master.

''The doorway opens before me and I pause to reflect. I will enter the tower. The Maelstrom will begin again. The Vaults will open.

''This is my will.

''I am Siptah. This is my isle.