Thorns of Stone

Expedition Record: Day 6

10:45 AM

Our arrival at [REDACTED] has been delayed by an unusual amount of fog, forcing Captain Storm to slow down for safety reasons. Normally such a delay would make me irritated, but it gives me more time to study the cuboid. I had hoped that a good night’s sleep might give me some new insights, but, alas, none have been forthcoming. Thunder Twirl has joined me in studying the cuboid, and she has come to the same conclusions: the beings in the pictograms are unrecognizable, as are the writings carved into the stone.

However, there is one important divergence between us: While in awe of the cuboid and its historical significance, Thunder Twirl seems unnerved in its presence. She hides it well, but I still noticed and asked her what was wrong. She seemed rather embarrassed to tell me that she wasn’t sure. Something about the cuboid just felt ‘wrong’ to her. When pressed for further clarification, she had none to give. This puzzles me: Thunder Twirl is an educated mare with several degrees to her name. She has some of the best education available, and yet she is unable to articulate why this cuboid makes her feel worried. Disappointing, but puzzling as well.

2:45 PM

It turns out that Thunder Twirl’s unease is not an isolated incident. Shortly after completing the last entry, I had a hunch to ask other members of the ship’s crew about what they thought of the cuboid. I brought them into the study one at a time and asked what they thought of the object, and what the figures in the pictograms might be. All of them felt unnerved by the object, but in a way they couldn’t describe. All of them wanted to get out of the room as quickly as possible, even Sunrise Storm. Her hard, unyielding demeanor and no-nonsense attitude tells me she’s not the kind to be frightened or fazed by things that would send the rest of us into a panic, but even she was unnerved standing before our artifact. In fact, her response was the most blunt of all: she told me that this thing is, quote, ‘evil.’ When I pressed her to clarify, she refused and quickly left.

These reactions puzzle me; I have not felt any adverse emotions or effects around the cuboid, and I’ve been studying it for several hours. All the others have only been in its presence for a few minutes or, in Thunder Twirl’s case, an hour. Perhaps there’s some sort of spell cast on the cuboid? Or maybe there’s some enchantment or charm that makes everyone around it ill. But why? Could this thing be a weapon? If so, I can’t see how, save as a finely-made club, and I have no desire to hit anything with it.

I will have to keep a close eye on the cuboid and keep it locked inside the onboard safe, lest Sunrise Storm or some other superstitious pony decide to throw it into the sea. Perhaps asking Thunder Twirl to keep track of my personality wouldn’t hurt either; if there are any changes I can’t perceive, it would be helpful to have someone alert me.

5: 10 PM

We still haven’t arrived at [REDACTED]; the fog has gotten thicker, and a storm appears to be coming in as well, for the waters are starting to get choppy. Captain Sunrise Storm is not happy and is doing everything she can get us to the shore as quickly as possible, but it’s proving difficult with our electronic equipment short-circuiting at regular intervals, and it’s not just us as well; those on the yacht have radioed to say that they’ve encountered the fog as well, and they’re having even more electrical problems than we are.

As I write this, a thought occurs to me: could the cuboid be causing the electrical problems? But if so, why now instead of earlier?

8:30 PM

We’ve finally arrived at our destination. It took much longer than we had hoped, but Sunrise Storm managed to maneuver us to the docks. Judging by the sweat she had, I doubt she wants to go through something like that anytime soon.

The fog was still thick when we disembarked, though the other sailors are the ones who took all the equipment, tools, and supplies off the ship; I took the cuboid to town hall, where we have arranged accommodations and called Canterlot with news of the discovery. Two couriers are en-route and should arrive by tomorrow morning, at which point they will take the cuboid to Canterlot. Once the others on the yacht arrive, we will all depart on the next available train and hopefully reach the capital a few days later, at which point my studies of the cuboid will begin in earnest, and I will hopefully be able to unlock some of its secrets… that is, if the fog and the rain lets up. It’s been two hours since I made the call, but the fog has seemingly gotten only thicker. With any luck that won’t be a hindrance to the couriers, or to my peers on the yacht.

I have locked the cuboid inside a locker here in the hall’s storage facilities, and will be staying with it tonight. I can’t risk anything happening to it, or anyone trying to steal it from me.