To the travelers who may happen across this journal:
My name is John Vincent. I am an archaeologist from the United Kingdom, given permission with my team of assistants to make an effort to unearth several artifacts which have recently gained notoriety. Among these are some odd occurrences...well. I'm sure you've heard of them.
- 1980: Cairo is almost demolished by a number of earthquakes. Roughly one million perish in the destruction, although there is no known cause. During this time, a rare strain of algae appears in Lake Nasser, one which biologists say could not possibly have come naturally. It spreads almost to the mouth of the river, but perishes, supposedly from lack of nutrition. No cause is ever found.
- 1981: Rebuilding of Cairo progresses at a rapid rate, assisted by nearby countries. Attempts to determine the cause of these earthquakes is underway, and scientific attempts have so far turned up nothing.
- 1985: Several ruins of buildings are found throughout Egypt, most notably in the Asyut area. Heiroglyphics exist on the exteriors, but, due to their age, are undecipherable. There is one common term identified: the glyph for the word 'test'. Archaeologists claim that these ruins are so far advanced from buildings found prior to this -- including pyramids -- that the wildest theories of Egyptologists are now feasible.
- 1990: World governments take notice as more and more artifacts are found, and a rush of Egypt-mania leads travelers to make search efforts. The government of Egypt, greatly disturbed by the possible loss of their ancestral treasures, starts a moratorium on any excavation plans.
- 1999: Owing to pressure from governments, Egypt's government begins to open excavation sites across the country again, slowly at first.
- 2001: Terrorist attacks quickly strike at assets all across the world, beginning with the World Trade Center in the United States and ending with the Taj Mahal. A regime in the Middle East is held responsible for this, and a world force is militarized, disposing of the threat in two weeks. Distrust of those of Middle Eastern descent spreads quickly, and the Egyptian government removes the moratorium in order to prevent tourism from dropping heavily.
- February 2004: The Egyptian government gives a grant to three archaeological teams from the west: One led by Paul Rowan of the United States, one lead by Catherine Hall of Canada, and one lead by John Vincent of the United Kingdom. These are considered the best of the best.
- April 2004: The team led by Paul Rowan goes missing. It has not been found.
We are currently investigating the disappearance of Rowan's team, as we have some belief that they have uncovered vital information to understanding these mysteries. More information may be known as we continue.
ARG Info
Artifacts of the Ancients is an Alternate Reality Game, one which takes place in an alternate world which may or may not follow rules similar to ours, and which is almost always accessed through websites, e-mail, and games. It is currently under construction.
The channel for this is #atitd-artifacts on Sorcery.