Thorns of Stone

This is the journal and personal record of Golden Scroll regarding the [REDACTED] Expedition, as per the request of Manehattan University. As is standard for all such records, I shall be updating this journal to record my findings, observations, and thoughts on this expedition for the benefit of future scholars, readers, and historians.

For the historical record, I feel it prudent to give some information about myself. I am Golden Scroll, an archaeologist from Manehattan University. At the risk of sounding boastful and self-important, I have had thirty years of experience traveling from one corner of our world to the next in search of treasures, lore, and knowledge of our past, from the well-known to the little-understood, and the complete mystery. Alas, it is nowhere near as exciting as Daring Do’s books would have you believe, for most of my time is spent carefully excavating ruins, dusting off artifacts with a toothbrush, and otherwise taking the greatest care not to damage anything.

That is not to say that all expeditions are tedious and dull. There have been a few times where I have come across a long-lost temple and become the first pony to behold a famed artifact in thousands of years. This upcoming expedition, I hope, will bear equally exciting fruit.

It is time for me to give some background to what has been called, the [REDACTED] Expedition: One year ago, the university was contacted by some fisherponies who had snagged their deep-sea gear on something and retrieved it only to find their nets and equipment torn to shreds in a manner consistent with rope cut by sharp objects. Subsequent radar scans of the area revealed an unnatural landmass deep below the surface of [REDACTED]. Due to the extreme depth of [REDACTED], even our most advanced scanners and radar are unable to reach the bottom, but initial reports suggest that the surface is too uneven to be a natural structure; as the most experienced archaeologist on staff, I was asked to lead the investigation into this phenomena.

As a personal aside, it is most gratifying to be given such a privileged position. As I enter my fifth decade, I have accumulated more years of experience and knowledge than those younger than me. But the university – ever mindful of how it presents itself – is increasingly choosing younger and more attractive archaeologists to send out into the field. Time wears down all things, and my days of rummaging around in deserts, hiking through harsh territory, and enduring long, hot days are starting to come to an end. Perhaps this expedition, if fruitful, will prove to be the capstone to close a long and fruitful career. I most certainly hope so.