An impossible legacy
The cavern is dark and quiet, a strange feeling after so many days with the noise of rushing water in my ears. I have returned with a new sense of awe for what a single man can do. A new sense of purpose and inspiration.
I realised, or remembered rather, that the recording device will only upload if it is in range of the wireless network. I had been recording the whole time, assuming it would be placed here! I certainly hope no one worried about me. I apologise for that.
I should probably mention that the recordings are quite revealing as to the nature of the Age of Ahnonay. It is entirely possible there are people out there who do not wish to know of this place. Perhaps they hold out hope for their own chance to see its greatness if they are ever able to find their way to it.
To that end, I have renamed all posts concerning my explorations from the default file name to “Ahnonay#”. If you wish to avoid the revelations I so breathlessly made, simply do not read those posts.
Ramsey Lewis is on the radio, the kettle is bubbling and my half-read novel sits on my cot. I have had a very exhausting time, emotionally and physically. I prescribe myself some Lady Grey and rest. Part of me missed you all. It’s good to be home.
My god, when did I begin to consider this place home?
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Auto-Dictation begun November 28th, 2009 @ 22:15 MDT
I have allowed [clicking sound] myself the luxury of staying in the [unintelligible] center for a while. I took a few severe risks, but it has been a while since I did anything death-defying in search for inspiration and I felt I deserved it! The fateful swim in the lake notwithstanding. I was able to get a wonderful photo that I shall have to [unintelligible] to add to my Journal [footsteps] when the time comes. I shall [unintelligible] home tomorrow. I know I will return to this place very often.
Ahnonay is a fraud and a lie. A selfish man’s monument to himself, but above all else, it is a testament to what a man can do.
Without the art, Kadish was still able to move the world.
I should like very much to do the same.
Auto-Dictation ended by User November 28th, 2009 @ 22:19 MDT
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Auto-Dictation begun November 26th, 2009 @ 14:35 MDT
[clinking sound] My apologies friend, I almost dropped you in my absolute amazement. It has taken me [unintelligible] time to fully come to terms with what I witnessed [buzzing sound] when I stepped into what I can only describe as a command center for Ahnonay. To finally see them [creaking sound] like this, it was absolutely beautiful. Kadish was many things, but I can no longer deny his [unintelligible] or the absolute brilliance in his egotistical machinations. Perhaps [creaking sound] he was not the grower, but his brilliance and inventiveness must rival some of the most brilliant minds humanity ever [unintelligible].
The sheer boldness and strength it took to create this [unintelligible]. I cannot fathom it in a hundred lifetimes. [liquid dripping] No wonder he was able to fool so many people. Only after seeing the cage from the outside can I truly appreciate its magnificence and [unintelligible].
There is something to learn here. Something to take back to my quarters besides [unintelligible] for the trickster Kadish. Some grain of genius that I can plant in Luminesce. Yes, I must wait for it to appear to me.
Auto-Dictation ended by User November 26th, 2009 @ 14:45 MDT
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Auto-Dictation begun November 26th, 2009 @ 14:07 MDT
My god, it’s beautiful.
[deep breathing]
The sheer magnitude. The absolute audacity!
Auto-Dictation ended by User November 26th, 2009 @ 14:07 MDT
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Auto-Dictation begun November 24th, 2009 @ 11:07 MDT
I have had a very full set of days, my friend [long exhale]. After much [unintelligible] of the Ahnonay crest, I realised how to fool Kadish’s spheres into allowing [buzzing sound] me access the fourth sphere. It took me many days of brute [unintelligible] and reviewing my linking theory, as well as finding those odd shell cloths, but I eventually found my way. I must admit, [heavy thunk] I was not expecting such a [unintelligible] display of Kadish’s meglomaniacal intents! A grand, unfinished statue stood in the center [buzzing sound], assuredly of Kadish himself.
I am not sure which is a sadder display of his end, this [liquid dripping] unfinished statue or his own bones laying quietly within his [unintelligible] vault on Tolesa.
From this place, I found my way further out from his spheres. I have moved my camp to a niche in the wall outside [unintelligible] great door. I have been unable to get access, however I think the code lies, as all others did, in his [unintelligible] in the Cavern.
Auto-Dictation ended by User November 24th, 2009 @ 11:12 MDT
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Auto-Dictation begun November 19th, 2009 @ 01:43 MDT
By some unknown means, [unintelligible] Kadish was able to alter the appearance of Ahnonay in a semi-autonomous way. [electric crackle] I am slowly unraveling his [unintelligible] tapestry. I have been able to access three more domes, or more correctly, spheres. Each sphere was more amazing [electric crackle][liquid dripping] than the last. How was he able to create stormy skies and lightning in this bottled world? [quiet chuckle] I can only imagine the more gullible of the D’ni’s amazement as they were able to breath in space as they[rustling sound] explored the shattered remains of his [laughing] Garternay!
[deep breathing]
Each of these spheres has an identical maintainance tunnel. Kadish was even [unintelligible] egotistical to write the secret to his Age right into the crest itself! He must have assumed no one [unintelligible] be wise enough to discover his trickery! The crest shows that there is a fourth sphere, but I have yet to see it. I begin to wonder why it is impossible to access. Is it filled with the bodies of slaves from Teledahn? I must admit my palms go cold when I consider it.
How the <heck> is he doing it? It must have something [electric crackle] to do with the physics of linking between Ages. I know the D’ni did not know [unintelligible] to alter the link in position. I first thought there was some [buzzing sound] hidden mechanism to change the linking books when I left the Age and traveled back to the Cathedral, but [unintelligible] the page with a pen proved it is the same linking book. Deductive reasoning tells me [liquid dripping] then, if he cannot change the position visitors link into the Age at, then somehow, he is changing the position of the Age around them.
[long exhale] My God! The thought of such a monumental task alone is enough to give me pause!
Auto-Dictation ended by User November 19th, 2009 @ 01:55 MDT
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Auto-Dictation begun November 16th, 2009 @ 15:11 MDT
[deep breathing] It has been several days since I picked up this recording device. I almost want to apologise, but to whom? The PDA? In any case, I [deep breathing] seem to have found a connection [unintelligible] the local wildlife and what I had erroneously believed to be a large time-piece or clock in the center of the main island. It appears it is, in actuality some sort of weight [unintelligible][rustling sound][liquid dripping] attached to this man-made plateau. The more of these small crab-like creatures I frighten off the land, the lighter the [unintelligible] becomes and the [liquid dripping] fewer lights appear on the dial. The seemingly random way the lights dim, I do not understand.
A single light remains, [unintelligible] for my own weight. The significance of this still eludes me.
Auto-Dictation ended by User November 16th, 2009 @ 15:15 MDT
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Auto-Dictation begun November 14th, 2009 @ 12:09 MDT
[deep breathing] I should have bloody well known immediately. Kadish was [unintelligible] the snake-oil seller. This place is a man-made construct. Some sort of [unintelligible] or dome containing an Age [liquid dripping] wrought of metal and stone instead of ink and paper. The structures in the distance were as much a lie as the [unintelligible] Garternay Kadish sold his followers. I must admit however, in the time I’ve spent in this [rustling sound][liquid dripping] Age I had no idea of its nature. There were clouds, a breeze. Live animals. Such [unintelligible] attention to detail.
Moments after the discovery, I began to [unintelligible] what lay outside the dome. [deep breathing] Why did Kadish choose this place? What does the rest of the Age look like? Is it uninhabitable? Dead and barren? I could absolutely see Kadish [unintelligible] a place where his little playground could never be disturbed from the outside.
On further inspection, I found a large crack in the surface of the dome. I thought it would be possible to widen the crack and use it to escape my [unintelligible]. I left any non essential items in camp and linked to the Watcher’s Sanctuary to retrieve the tools I had left there. After spending the majority of a day attempting to [unintelligible] the crack in the shell, I realised it was a futile gesture. Now only that, but [liquid dripping] I became increasingly nervous further [unintelligible] a weakness in this structure. The more I think about it, the more dangerous I realise it was. The outside atmosphere could be poisonous for all I know [deep breathing].
I stand now, in some sort of maintainance tunnel hidden on the other [unintelligible] of the dome. Nothing seems to be working in here, although I have a feeling there are other nearby domes. [deep breathing] There is a D’ni numeral one [unintelligible] everywhere on the Ahnonay crest. I wonder how many there are in total? Did [buzzing sound] the DRC know this place was a fraud when they released it? I can’t be the only one who [unintelligible] the truth, so why did I never hear of it? Did the cavern empty too soon?
Auto-Dictation ended by User November 12th, 2009 @ 12:20 MDT
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Auto-Dictation begun November 12th, 2009 @ 07:31 MDT
My god, what is this place? It’s some sort of [unintelligible]!
Auto-Dictation ended by User November 12th, 2009 @ 07:31 MDT
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Auto-Dictation begun November 11th, 2009 @ 06:12 MDT
As I sit here amongst the [unintelligible] water, I begin to wonder if maybe, just maybe Kadish did forge a link to an earlier [clicking sound] chapter in the D’ni story. The buildings in the distance are clearly [unintelligible] of stone, but their design is too crude to have been made by the skilled D’ni stonemasons. This [clicking sound] place is truly beautiful. [sqeaking sound][clicking sound] Oh! I’m sorry little fellow! [clicking sound]
We all know [rustling sound] Kadish is the master of the unseen, but if he truly did create this place I am in [unintelligible] of his ability.
His trickery however, is so well [clicking sound] documented. [breathing] There must be something here. No, I must think [unintelligible]. This cannot be Garternay. The namesake of this Journal has been dead and gone for many [water rushing] lifetimes. The D’ni are capable of a great deal, but not this. Even Yeesha’s eldritch powers can only do so much.
[heavy sigh] There is nothing more to do about it. [clearing throat] I’ve decided to attempt to swim to the nearest island. I don’t [clicking sound] expect to find much, but this [unintelligible] place and its crabs has nothing left to show me.
Auto-Dictation ended by User November 11th, 2009 @ 06:19 MDT
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