Journal Log of Renath Frostseeker 08

May 15th, 12296

Something's gone wrong. We used the Luminora Nexus on Solaris as planned, expecting to arrive on a new world. Instead, we found ourselves on a cool, green planet, but the Nexus was still fully intact – something Eldrin doesn't recall ever happening. He's checking his records. While the teams explored, we stayed close to the Nexus. They found berry bushes you could swipe through, and noted that no matter where they went, it was consistently cold, with no warm spots.

May 20th, 12296

The nights here are filled with strange sounds and even stranger sights. Rusty-red apparitions swirl like whirlpools in the air. If you stand near one, you can faintly hear moaning and groaning. The teams have warned everyone to steer clear, and honestly, they give me the creeps! 

Zephyr even told me he passed a deep shaft in the ground and swore he heard a bell. How could there be a bell on a new world?

June 3rd, 12296

We've gathered what we could – bees, new crops, trees, and more – and are ready to move on. Everyone's nervous about traveling again. Eldrin says nothing like this has ever happened in our history. He's worried the strange apparitions might be causing the Nexus to malfunction.

June 6th, 12296

We made it safely this time, though all the outer crystals fractured in a surprisingly symmetrical way. Eldrin doesn't like this symmetry, saying it usually means the realms will be much tougher, with fractured pieces spread farther and more numerous.

We voted to name this beautiful new world Lithora! It has rivers, lakes, and I even heard there might be an ocean, with salty water! On Solaris, we had salt wastes, so who knew water could be salty like this? Everything is so green, with tons of berry bushes, wild crops, and mushrooms. The red and white ones look delicious, and I can't wait to try them! 

There are also many adorable creatures; even the adventuring and recovery teams seem a bit more relaxed. Sure, the bears and wolves are dangerous, but we can handle them, and they taste great!

Unfortunately, the same foreboding apparitions from the last world are here too. And strangely, none of our belongings arrived with us, which is very unusual for Nexus travel.

June 12th, 12296

The teams conducted an experiment with the apparitions. Thalia volunteered and stood inside one. She reported everything turning a rusty color and swaying, followed by wails, moans, and a foreboding noise. The longer she stood, the worse it got. She started screaming, "The rust is coming! They are coming!" When pulled out, she wouldn't stop repeating herself, she rocks herself nonstop. I fear she's gone insane.

June 29th, 12296

All the items we gathered on the last planet have suddenly reappeared. Everything's here, but it's all a bit odd. The beehives are present, but the bees die as soon as we touch them. The food hasn't spoiled, and even freshly cooked pots are still warm.

Thalia isn't any better. She just rocks back and forth, mumbling about "drifters, shivers, bowtorns?" or staring into the distance and repeating the name "Dave," saying, "We must praise Dave” “ Dave gives and takes."

July 19th, 12296

One of the new settlements reported a bizarre sight: a goose made of spruce. No one knows where it came from or who made it, and it makes an odd noiz when someone stands near it.

July 24th, 12296?

I'm not even sure what day it is anymore. Shortly after the Spruce Goose appeared, we experienced tremors, and the Luminora Nexus went dark. Then, we were floating in a void, seeing stars, the moon, and the sun, before suddenly being back on the ground. It seems we somehow went back in time. 

All the buildings, roads, food, and materials we gathered are gone, but the materials and foods we had gathered are right in the exact spots they were a month ago. And all the previously gathered items from the last world are in their original locations, still fresh, even though we ate them weeks ago.

July 27th, 12296

Where do I even begin? I was walking with Thalia when she suddenly wailed and ran towards a building, screaming, "It's coming! Everyone get inside! Get the lights! The storm is coming!" I got her inside and covered her. She demanded a lantern and a spear, and though I hesitated, I gave them to her. She calmed down, just repeating, "the storm is coming."

I looked out, and the horizon turned rusty. The winds picked up, and everyone ran indoors. Then they started to appear: small, grey creatures throwing stones and banging on doors. They began to grow rusty metal bits out of their bodies, and their stones became harder, damaging people and buildings. As the storm intensified, creatures appeared next to anyone without a light. Thankfully, Thalia gave us the warning and most people had lights. After the storm, some creatures dissolved, leaving behind fibers or rusty gears. One even left an odd, bright blue, spinning gear.