Atlantis Lore[]
As told by Anna Graham, in loving memory of Reese Graham; intrepid explorer and master treasure hunter. You will be dearly missed.
Reese and I had been married for seven years. I knew he was a treasure hunter, and I knew that job carried with it extreme risk. I suppose that's what first drew me to him. There was an element of danger and excitement in his youthful brown eyes that I adored. I always insisted that he tell me where he was going and when he expected to be back, so that I'd know when to worry. That day finally came, and it was worse than I had ever imagined.
He had found a map to a treasure that was buried somewhere on Marble Island. The map didn't appear to be very well drawn, so that was usually a good sign that the treasure wasn't worth much and thus the danger wouldn't be too severe. Still he was determined to seek out any and all treasures hidden throughout this land, as he never knew where one treasure might lead to another. I was always a little skeptical that someone would leave a map pointing directly to a buried treasure for just anyone to find, but he had had success in the past, and his job afforded us a comfortable life, so who was I to question it?
Weeks had passed since he left in search of that treasure, far more time than he had anticipated. It wasn't like him to be this inaccurate with his estimate, so I knew something had gone wrong. I am no adventurer however, so I couldn't just go after him to discover what had happened. So I left a note at home and went to the city to seek out someone who could track down my husband and learn of his fate.
Many kind strangers took up the search, or at least said that they would, but I rarely heard back from any of them. I desperately pleaded with any adventurer I would come across, asking them to please find my husband and bring word of his fate. Finally, someone did. He brought me back the sad news of his passing, and a copy of his diary that I might read of his fate in his own words. Below is a transcript of my husbands last entries:
Day 1[]
"While following a tip on some buried treasure nearby, I came across a pair of decrepit marble buildings that had long ago been abandoned. Curious, I decided to take a closer look. The larger of the two buildings appeared to be some sort of temple. The smaller building was even more interesting to me, as it had a stair case leading down to a basement floor. Part of the lower room had caved in, and water had begun rushing in from the nearby sea. However, instead of flooding the room, the water seemed to escape through some unknown channel. A sign had been erected, probably when the building had been abandoned, warning of the danger. Still, I couldn't stop thinking about how the water was escaping and after some determined searching, discovered the passageway hidden behind the waterfall. So I went in.
It was dark, but I could see a large crack in the cave wall allowing the water to recede deeper into the cave. The tunnel I found myself in looked ancient, but was largely dry. I decided to explore deeper to see where it might lead. Further down, the tunnel lead to a large chamber. The air was thick and damp, and the moisture had caused mushrooms to cover the cavern floor. I could barely breathe. I could see that the cavern had a small tunnel at the other end, and decided to continue my exploration.
When I stepped through the cavern, I suddenly felt a pain shoot through my legs. I was being struck by thousands of tiny needle like spores exploding out from each mushroom as I ruptured it with my footsteps. After a few feet I was wracked with pain and quickly swigged down a health potion. I pressed on quickly to escape the mushroom patch, and as I reached the bend in the tunnel I felt weak, and decided to camp for the night."
Day 2[]
"The next morning my legs still felt like jam, but I knew I couldn't stay in this damp cave for long, so I forced myself to get up and continue forward. It was my hope that I would find another exit to this cave so I did not have to brave my way back through the exploding mushroom field.
I packed some provisions and made my way deeper into the tunnel. At the far end were a set of naturally occurring steps formed out of the cavern walls by the water rushing in over time. I surmised that water must have formed this tunnel long ago, carrying with it debris from the ocean and littering it all along the path.
The steps were slick and smooth, but I carefully made my way down them. It was much darker this deep in the cave. I remembered an incantation Anna had once taught me for improving my night vision, 'In Lor', and instantly the cave seemed brighter. That's when I saw it, a disgusting looking water elemental peering back at me through the darkness. It was a putrid shade of sea green, and looked particularly dangerous. I fought my way deeper into the cavern, encountering all manner of creature. It was fascinating to me that these creatures had somehow made a home deep underground, and I wondered what treasures they might be hoarding in their underwater home.
Several meters down, I encountered a cave-in. Large boulders had collapsed into the passageway and sealed off the rest of the tunnel. Disappointed, I decided to turn back and camp before any more of those creatures returned. That's when I caught a glimmer in the stone. Looking closer, I saw that someone, or something, had etched the following words into the cave wall:
TASSET VILLAIN"
That's where the journal ended. To this day I know not what the inscription meant or what happened next. I know only that the journal was found next to his remains near his camp site within the cave. The journal was left there for posterity and a copy was brought back to me as evidence of his demise.
Oh how I miss my late husband so. My life has been so empty and miserable since his passing. I only hope that some worthy adventurer discover the meaning of this riddle and unlock the secrets of this mysterious underwater cavern. Perhaps they will be rewarded with the treasure my husband was unable to find.