🌵 WELCOME TO MENAHAT 🌵

POINTS OF INTEREST:

Work Camp:  I asked around earlier about what’s going on here: This place is a camp for workers of ‘Dyrus Industries’, and the main activity done here is the mining and manufacturing of the Antigravity Stone. I’ll try not to go on a tangent, but the Antigravity Stone is a huge part of both ancient and modern Kaio civilisation, especially from its usage in structures, displays, and technology – it’s a real wonder!  I’ve also collected a map of  the camp in case I got lost. It turns out the whole place stretches enough to be the size of a small city.

View of the Great Desert: Since I wasn’t going to explore the ruins just yet, I climbed up a plateau to gain a wider view of the Great Desert. I couldn’t see the whole region, but I identified a few landmarks of the locations of the seven ruins, exactly as described by multiple of my sources. I suppose not much changes on Menahat, even if it had been over a thousand years. Honestly, this step wasn’t necessary at all – I just wanted to have a nice look-out of the place. I even sketched the landscape  for a while until it was almost dusk. The view is just so beautiful, especially in person.

Large-ish Stone Structure: Its shape is familiar. It resembled the structure of one of the ancient devices that I've seen in those old dusty books about the ruins here (I believe it’s the lock for the last of the seven). I might be wrong, so I’ll investigate it further tomorrow.

Small Stone Structure: Again, I couldn’t really tell from far away, but its shape is familiar. I’ll check it out tomorrow.

PLANS FOR TOMORROW:

Investigate the supposed ancient lock (7 ruins)

Investigate the small stone structure

Scan the Great Desert’s surface some more (thoroughly)

***

DAY 2

I decided yesterday that I was going to spend the nights here near the camp. It’s not easy to find a good place to settle in this desert, and  aside from the workers’ cabins, there aren’t any “proper” places to sleep. Guess I’ll just continue to use my standard setup, at least until I find somewhere better (I doubt it!) To be honest, I just couldn’t be bothered to head back to my ship, especially since it was such a long walk from where I crashed. It’s not like I could sleep back there anyway (knowing that it’s broken). I know it gets cold on Menahatian nights, especially in this very region at this time of year, but I should manage like I always do. It’s just the Krawl I’m worried about. I’ve seen a couple swarms pop up in the desert earlier today – just glad I never actually got close.

POINTS OF INTEREST:

Spectrobe Fossils: My scanners picked up a few Spectrobe fossils in the ground here and there. The species buried under this region are completely new to me. Sometimes I wish I knew a bit more about Spectrobes, aside from their roles in ancient history. (They’re just too awesome!)

Ancient Lock: So, I might be right. This stone structure matches the descriptions of many ancient texts referring to some kind of giant lock. It’s part of  the last of many mechanisms that have to do with the seven ruins buried here. I tried messing around with it to see if anything would happen, and nothing. Wonder what made it so important that this was the last one?

Stone Marker:  I’ve seen many of these before in my travels. It’s another one of those pedestals containing Legendary Weapons with the essence and power of various Spectrobes found here in the Kaio System. I don’t remember too much about them and the different species (not really my field), but I think this specific one is related to the Dongopod line. I read, only Spectrobe Masters with Cosmokeys are able to unseal them. Thankfully, these Stone Markers have nothing to do with this project.

Switch: Looking over the cliff at the Southern edge of the Great Desert, I found an unreachable ancient structure. (Maybe if my ship hadn’t crashed, I could’ve been able reach it…) Based on its appearance and what I know from those old books, I’m guessing it’s a sort of switch that, when activated, puts the seven ruins to use (I don’t know what for, yet). I should also add: the view of the desert sea is absolutely, completely awe-inspiring! I’m awful at describing how amazing it is in words, but I spent hours just sitting down and admiring the view.  

PLANS FOR TOMORROW:

Find the entrance of the first ruins

***

DAY 3

Decided to head back to my ship today to see if I  left anything important. Turns out many of my canned meals were still in good shape, so I grabbed some to last me the next few days.  Earlier this evening, I actually had a chat with one of the workers about the food and water situation in the camp, (and hoo boy…) In a nutshell, the workers here are given barely enough to get by. I never got the man’s name, but he told me all about how water was limited (also mentioning that’s why the whole place stank), and how boil-in-bags were one of the only meals they could eat. Said he was almost sick of it. I couldn’t help but pity the poor guy, so I lent a share of my canned casserole. The look on his face – how he missed the taste of a “real meal” !  To be honest, I’ve also been getting bored of eating the same canned foods every day so I  offered, “I’ll lend you my dinner if you lend me yours,” and it was an instant deal! I kind of regret it – macaroni boil-in-bags are awful. But at least he liked the casserole.

POINTS OF INTEREST:

Pit of Ruin: Around lunchtime, I located the Pit of Ruin which was only a short walk away from the camp. The legendary giant Krawl that created that giant crater (if I remember correctly, referred to as ‘Zabacraw’) is the reason why Menahat is as barren as it is now. Notice the chasm South-East of the crater – that’s where Zabacraw began its path to destruction.  The Pit of Ruin is a lot more impressive in person – it’s huge! I managed to take photos of it from as many angles possible throughout the rest of the day. Sometimes I wonder what things would have been like if Menahat was spared? (I also feel a bit annoyed looking at the crater now because I found the perfect landing site right next to it…) 

PLANS FOR TOMORROW:

ACTUALLY find the entrance of the first ruins

(Maybe) Try fixing the spaceship

***

DAY4

Stucknthruins  Trapped underubble Itsben hours  Callled forhelp.

Nothin  

  Voce sore Sent

disress singal

Toodark to writ

Willl contueSunrise

DAY 5

Thank the stars there’s a crack in the ceiling!  I’m still stuck down here in the first ruins and there’s no easy way out. Long story short: the proper entrance wouldn’t budge. I’m suspecting it’s tied to Spectrobes since the ancients and those creatures were always close. Unfortunately Spectrobes aren’t around anymore, so I looked for another way in. That was when I found a strange mechanism, played around with it, and now this is where I’ve ended up. My legs were trapped under rubble, and I was up all night trying to get them out. My voice is also sore from yesterday, but I’ve continued calling out for help the moment the sun rose. Up until now, still no response. Nothing about that distress signal I sent, either. I hope I find my way out of here soon, or else I won’t have enough extra cans to last! 

POINTS OF INTEREST

Blocked Doorway: I’m assuming that’s either an entrance or an exit to the ruins (more likely an exit, seeing that it’s blocked). It’s sealed with some kind of energy, which is painful to touch! There are two pressure plates in front of it, which look like they’re connected to the seal. 

Two Pressure Plates: I tried sitting on one (still too bruised up right now) and it glowed. I placed my backpack on the other and it glowed, too. Nothing happened. Looking at it, you’d straight away assume you’d need two living beings, one on each plate at the same time. Probably another Spectrobe-related mechanism again. 

Long Neighbouring Room: Next door to the  room I landed in, I can see a doorway to a long room. There’s nothing inside of it and it’s too wide to be called a corridor. I don’t know its purpose but it’s eerie. Whenever I look at it, I feel like I can hear deep growls. It scares me.

PLANS FOR TOMORROW:

Nothing

Call for help some more

If help does come, explore more ruins

NOTES: Nothing, really.

Neal knew that he wasn’t the only one interested in stepping on Menahatian soil, but he never expected to stumble across its other visitors so soon. Like bees in their hive, rugged men in workwear hustled in all directions, either navigating their way through their industrial maze or anxiously attending to their duties. What had once been land untouched for millennia was now crowded with heavy machinery, conveyor belts, and towering piles of crates. Neal could already feel the set of rules and regulations breathing down his neck, despite having no purpose being here other than to simply pass by. And then, he wondered which of those rules was stopping him from even doing that.

“Boss’ orders,” the gateman said. “No strangers are getting through this baby unless you got clearance from the man himself.”

“Clearance?” Neal repeated. Perhaps all he had to do was ask. “I guess I’ll just go find your boss.”

The gateman shivered his head and blinked in surprise. It was common knowledge among the workers here that their boss was the type of man to have everything done his way, and his way only. Suggest something to him and he will outright refuse it. Even just talking to him wasn’t easy. But nonetheless, the gateman shrugged. “Good luck, then,” he wished. “Er, in case you were wondering, Dyrus’s office is somewhere back of camp.”

Neal waved farewell. “Thank you, sir!”

The gateman awkwardly waved back. He watched Neal turn the other way, wondering if the explorer would ever return.

* * *

“H-Hey! Are you the boss of this place?”

Sitting on a long couch, was a tall man in a dark suit staring out of his even taller windows. He held a glass containing a cold, dark beverage. He took a sip. Then, under that man’s breath,

“What…?” “Someone’s asking if I’m the boss of this place?”

Neal gulped.

The man’s gaze remained on the view of the rocky landscape outside. “ If that’s the case, clearly he has zero business being here!”

Neal tip-toed into the room from up the steel ramp. Suppose, this was the ‘Dyrus’ he was looking for.

“My God, you look broker than a street dog! And thinner than one no less!” That was the time Dyrus actually turned around and looked at Neal. “You better give me a good reason to waste my precious time talking to you!”

Neal waited. Dyrus’s sharp stare grew impatient. Now was the time for a response.

“I-I do, I do,” Neal finally said. He crept nearby the couch and explained, “I’d just like to get through the giant gate. That’s all.”

Dyrus’s glare loosened. “What?” He blindly put down his drink onto the crowded coffee table, using its base to push around for space among the books and papers. “You mean the one through to the Great Desert?”

Neal confirmed that was the place.

“WAHAHAHAHA!”

Dyrus’s big, booming laugh was so great, Neal flinched.

“You must be crazy!” the old businessman exclaimed. “That place is HUGE!” “And definitely the type to kill weak little dweebs like you.”

The explorer’s face lit up. “Yes! That’s it!” Neal jumped to conclusions often, even knowing it wasn’t a good thing, but he always found it difficult to contain his excitement (in particular, when it came to the subjects of his interests). He held himself back immediately to save himself from disappointment.

Dyrus’s laughter died down with a sigh, and he smiled skeptically. “What do you want to do with the desert, anyway?”

“I came to carry out an investigation,” Neal explained. “Y’know, for archaeology ‘n stuff. That’s all!”

“Hmph…” Dyrus squinted his eyes. “You intellectuals are a strange bunch.” And then he shrugged, “Well, suit yourself; ya got the pass.”

Neal couldn’t help but giggle and clap his hands.

“Ah, awesome!” he exclaimed, “Thank you, thank you!” That was one obstacle down, which turned out a lot easier to clear than he thought.

Dyrus faced away, looking out the windows once again. “Now scram! I’ve got business to tend to!”

Neal continued thanking the businessman profusely as he walked backwards to the room's exit. He nearly tripped on his way out. And then he ran off. All that was on his mind was the Great Desert, and all that he was eager for was uncovering the mystery it held. Now, he was sure this was the time for all of his research to finally pay off.

NOTES: Nothing, really.