Entry #1[]
6 Jan. 1945
Leg has kept me up the last couple of nights. Terrible itching. Fortunate
side effect: time to think and study. I think I understand more about who
my ancestor, King Otto, was. His ambitions and dreams. The righteous
fire that burnt within him, almost I would dare say, divine in nature. He
was destined to be the Holy Roman Emperor. What is my destiny? Or
rephrase: can my destiny be controlled?
Yesterday, we found King Otto's secret study chamber, thanks to my
research assistant. Valuable things hidden inside. Research papers,
alchemical texts, maps... Reminded, briefly, painfully, of when I found
my father hanging from the ceiling in his study at the old estate. How
cold its great halls seemed after, as if it died with him. Should not dwell
on these things. Concentrate on the research. Will go for refreshments
despite the late hour.
Entry #2[]
September.
Read so much about Wulfburg now, I worry my eyes will begin to bleed.
This damnable, fascinating city. Something important here, I can feel it.
Certainly seemed important to my ancestor King Otto. Concluded so far:
- King Otto found parchments, in fragments (the Instanbul encounter).
- Parchments imparted him powerful knowledge (see notes of Siegbald
the scholar, pg. 15-26).
- Constructed something in Wulfburg used in warfare against the
Magyars.
- War machines helped his claim to power and the forming of the Holy
Roman Empire.
Entry #3[]
December.
Need to write down a few thoughts today.
I feel I know King Otto by now. My dear ancestor. His struggles seem to
mirror that of our beloved leader Adolf Hitler. Like Hitler, he sought strength
to make a better world for his people. His claim to power did
not come out of vanity, but from a singular, beautiful vision, maybe
imparted to him by God. Power, he realized, can be wielded like an
artist's brush.
He also understood that a kingship was not sufficient for the realization
of his great vision. It was the parchments he found which enabled his
destiny and made him the Holy Roman Emperor of Europe. With the
parchments he could create grand war machines striking fear into his
enemies. He could exploit the strangest technology history has ever
encountered. Secret technology that remains a marvel to this day, and
the discovery of which will surely help us toward our victory.
There is one difference: where King Otto failed, we will prevail.
I think this is what father would have wanted for me.
Entry #4[]
December,
My God, how it's snowing outside. The stone corridors of this castle are
freezing cold. Have to wear thick warm socks every day. They're
comfortable, but a terrible itch sets in after a while. Got back the
translation of another passage from King Otto's diary today. Very
interesting. The King is grief-stricken after his wife Queen Eadgyth died
unexpectedly. He goes on to write about ancient fragments of
parchments that have come into his possession. He has put his most
prominent scholars on the task of deciphering them. Despite not knowing
their contents he believes them to be a gift from God and that the Lord is
telling his destiny is to become the Holy Emperor of Europe.
Puzzling. They must have looked really special, these parchments. Or
maybe it's the grief taking over. Blinding him. Anyway, went to the wine
cellar earlier today. Found a 1928, Bordeaux. A very good year I've
heard. Time to taste.
Entry #5[]
January 12, 1946
Big discoveries today! Reminds of me when Father took me to the
National Museum of History in Berlin for the first time. I told him it felt
life I was touching history. How he smiled at me! "The secrets of the
past," he said, "are waiting to be uncovered."
One of our excavation teams has uncovered a mass grave while
expanding the eastern part of the dig site. The grave contained the
skeletal remains from at least 84 people (adults and children). Seems like
the old church ruins (which the locals refer to as the "defiled church")
was the site of a mass slaughter a millennia ago. Yes, it must be so. All
evidence we have found so far point to this. My theory is strengthened:
As I have speculated before, King Otto himself commanded the church
and surrounding village to be razed. He sent out a banner of knights to
execute this task - this explains why we have found some artifacts
belonging to King Otto's knights as well. Also, Randolph managed to -
after some enhanced interrogations - persuade the local priest to give us
a letter written by King Otto that he had found in the home of the former
priest - the same priest who killed by one of my "patients", Michael.
It's written in Old High German, but the translation should come back to
us soon. Now, why King Otto would order such a thing is an enigma
that continues to elude me. Getting ever closer to the answer, though.
Just need to dig a little deeper. Along with the letter, an ancient map
was found (presumably of the underground complex we are looking for)
beneath the floorboards in patient Michael's kitchen. It was drawn by
one of King Otto's scholars. There were command words written on it. I
will practice these words. May be useful once we have found whatever is
waiting for us down below.
Entry #6[]
Friday, 14th of March, 1946
Dear Father,
You taught me to love the secrets hidden in the past. Yet the greatest
secret of all, why you chose to end your own life - that secret you
brought with you into the grave. I think about it all the time. It permeates
my very essence. The search for an answer. Was it me, Father? Were
you unhappy with me? I fear it is the one secret I will never dig out.
I digress. Must focus on my thoughts. Must trust what it is I love about
working in this field, unearthing the secrets of the past. The artistry of it.
Out here, I'm a sculptor, chipping away the stone to uncover the shape
of the beautiful truth hidden inside. This work, uncovering the treasures
of King Otto, might be my finest yet. And my most important. Already
we have found so much. Gold, gems, ancient artifacts. But also, curious
gadgets. Remnants of ancient machines.
The truth has almost completely taken shape now. I believe King Otto
was a romantic at heart. He loved his wife, Eadgyth. Maybe his
ambitions as a King were quite modest before she died. I believe her
death felt like a betrayal to him. A betrayal from God. He lost his faith.
Went into a deep depression. Then he had the Istanbul encounter where
he discovered the parchments. From the parchments he learnt the secrets
to creating incredible machinery. The discovery inspired him to do great
things. With the aid of this new technology, he would become the Holy
Roman Emperor over all of Europe.
Now, even though he was the King, the church was a very powerful
entity at the time. They would have most certainly deemed his work to be
influenced by the Devil and would reject his claim to the title of Holy
Roman Emperor. So, he dug these tunnels underneath what is now called
the defiled church in Wulfburg. An underground complex functioning as
his laboratory. This is where his scholars - and chief among them the
abbot of the old church of Wulfburg, Konrad - worked in secret to
create war machines and alchemical potions from the ancient
parchments he found in Istanbul. And then he tricked the church into
believing that the machines he used in battle were actually angels sent to
him from God.
This piece is shaping into something very special indeed. I just need to
chip away the last pieces of stone to reveal its secret essence, hidden, I
believe, inside King Otto's inner vault.
I think I'll celebrate tonight with some nice wine.