The Obsidian Shard
The first recorded fragment speaks of a being known only as Theressa. It is a lament, woven into the structure of solidified time. The Shard itself hums with a resonance, a desperate plea for remembrance. It speaks of a city, Veridia, swallowed by a paradox – a city that simultaneously existed and ceased to be. The air around the Shard crackles with the ghosts of impossible geometries. It’s said that prolonged exposure can induce a state of temporal vertigo, where past, present, and potential futures bleed together. The text is written in a language not wholly understood, utilizing glyphs that shift and reform with each observation. Many scholars believe it’s a warning, though its precise meaning remains elusive. The prevailing theory suggests Theressa was a guardian, a protector of a confluence point, but her actions resulted in Veridia’s destruction.
The Cartographer’s Scroll
This scroll details the attempts of a long-dead cartographer, Silas Vorin, to map the distortions surrounding the initial event. Vorin was obsessed with Veridia, spending decades attempting to pinpoint the moment of its erasure. He utilized a device – the Chronarium – a complex apparatus of lenses, crystals, and resonating metals, to navigate what he termed "Temporal Echoes." The scroll depicts increasingly frantic sketches, culminating in a single, horrifying image: a swirling vortex of fragmented timelines. Vorin’s notes are filled with warnings about the dangers of temporal manipulation and the inherent instability of attempting to control the flow of time. He believed Theressa’s sacrifice was the key to preventing a larger catastrophe, but his efforts only seemed to accelerate the unraveling. The final entry reads: “The echoes grow louder. Veridia is not lost, it is *unmaking* itself.”
The Resonance Chamber Log
This is the most fragmented of the recovered records. It appears to be a transcript of a session within the Resonance Chamber, a device used to amplify and interpret the residual energy of the temporal anomaly. The voices are distorted, layered, and often contradictory. Recurring phrases include “Theressa… the anchor… the fracture…” and “Veridia… a reflection… a fading dream…” The log abruptly cuts off mid-sentence, with a single, chilling notation: “Temporal feedback imminent.” Analysis suggests that the Chamber was used to attempt to communicate with Theressa, but the attempt ultimately triggered a cascade of temporal instability. Some scholars believe the Chamber itself was a component of the paradox, a mechanism designed to perpetuate Veridia’s erasure. The chamber’s structure is unstable, shifting subtly over time, as if attempting to re-form itself.