Adam: Created page with "{{News Header|Type=Character News|Subheading=A Study of the Unknown|RealDate=2026-09-17|Author=Percival van der Berg}} It had been quite the task to obtain this material. Kedet's efforts to destroy any trace of the portals had made gathering it far more difficult than I had anticipated. Much of what remained had been reduced to rubble, and finding enough intact pieces to conduct a proper study proved troublesome. Still, after some persistence, I managed to bring back a..."

2026-09-17T11:49:14Z

Created page with "{{News Header|Type=Character News|Subheading=A Study of the Unknown|RealDate=2026-09-17|Author=Percival van der Berg}} It had been quite the task to obtain this material. Kedet's efforts to destroy any trace of the portals had made gathering it far more difficult than I had anticipated. Much of what remained had been reduced to rubble, and finding enough intact pieces to conduct a proper study proved troublesome. Still, after some persistence, I managed to bring back a..."

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{{News Header|Type=Character News|Subheading=A Study of the Unknown|RealDate=2026-09-17|Author=Percival van der Berg}}

It had been quite the task to obtain this material.

Kedet's efforts to destroy any trace of the portals had made gathering it far more difficult than I had anticipated. Much of what remained had been reduced to rubble, and finding enough intact pieces to conduct a proper study proved troublesome. Still, after some persistence, I managed to bring back a considerable quantity.

A fortunate outcome, all things considered.

I placed the largest piece upon my workbench, turning it beneath the light of my lamp. Its dark, glass-like surface caught the light in an unusual manner. I had encountered this material before, at the ruined portal I had documented during my earlier expeditions. Back then, I had little opportunity to study it properly.

Now, I had the means.

“Let us see what makes you so special,” I muttered to myself.

A few of my helpers and associates had gathered in the workshop, ready to assist with the examination. We began with the simplest of tests, recording the samples' weight, dimensions, and appearance before comparing them against other known stones.

Our first attempts were to cut and chip the material. The tools struggled to leave even the slightest mark upon its surface. We tried different implements, applying greater force where possible, but the results remained largely the same. Whatever its composition, it was certainly no ordinary stone.

Next, we turned to heat. A smaller fragment was placed over a controlled flame while we carefully observed its surface for any changes. We waited, adjusted the heat, and waited some more. Nothing of significance occurred. The fragment remained as it was.

We tried applying pressure and striking smaller samples, hoping to learn more about its durability. Some pieces fractured under sufficient force, though the resulting fragments offered little insight into what made the material so unusual. We recorded what we could and moved on.

Hours passed, and our workbench became crowded with notes, tools, and carefully arranged samples. We had tested its resistance, examined its surface, and attempted to alter it through several methods. Each experiment yielded some small observation, but none brought us closer to understanding its purpose.

I leaned back in my chair, looking over the scattered results.

“Curious…”

The material was difficult to work with, yet that alone did not explain why it had been used to construct the strange structure I had discovered. I retrieved my journal and opened it to the pages containing my sketches of the ruined portal. The arrangement of the black blocks was still clear in my notes.

Perhaps I had been looking at the problem incorrectly.

I set the journal beside the samples.

For now, speculation would serve little purpose. We needed more observations, better methods, and perhaps a closer examination of the structure itself.

“Let us continue,” I said, turning back to my associates. “There must be something we have overlooked.”

And so, our work continued.
[[Category:Era Nova, Year 4]]
[[Category:Percival van der Berg]]
[[Category:Era Nova]]
[[Category:Character News]]

Percival van der Berg/The Study of Obsidian - Revision history