Dizzywood Explorers Journal

As childhood friends, two small owls came together underneath starlit nights to play a weekly game of Chess. Nocturne would take his time scientifically planning each move, while friend Archimedes could be heard casting spells just waiting to call checkmate.

“My friend, you will never win a game of skill with magic,” Nocturne would say. “I am sorry, but the only way to win is to know your opponents moves through mathematical probabilities!”

As they continued to grow, their arguments did as well and it soon came time for the both of them to attend university. There was no question about it, eager to possess higher magical abilities Archimedes was going to mentor with a wizard. “Wait until you see my new magical powers,” Archimedes told his friend, “then you’ll see that magic is far superior to science!”  It didn’t matter much to Nocturne, he had chosen a different path. He was on his way to Skypoint Observatory to study the phenomena that comes from outside our atmosphere. Nocturne was determined to gain a richer understanding of our world through the stars he could see every night.

Years went by without the two friends speaking to each other, they were so busy with their studies. But they never once put each other out of their minds. Archimedes sighed at the image of his lifelong friend staring off into the stars wasting his time with his telescopes, while Nocturne giggled at the thought of Archie with a staff in his hands, mumbling his hocus pocus.

Pierre has warned me against excavating in Dizzywood, but he’ll see. I’ll find him evidence of Dizzywood’s long sought out Ancients. I still believe they continue to roam these lands, and you should too. My research on these elusive fantasical creatures began years ago when I was still able to count my age on two hands.

Papa had taken me on a hike. Papa decided to take a break, eat some snacks and ponder the hike ahead of us. My legs were not ready to rest, so I journeyed on my own for a few minutes. “Not too far”, Papa said.

Pierre was never a fan of Papa’s hikes, but he loved when it was snack time, so he stayed behind as usual and played in the kitchen. It’s no wonder he became a great chef! I remember staring at the ground, kicking pebbles aside, and noticing a shiny bundle of feathers in assorted colors. I picked away some rocks, and noticed they were all stuck together. They did not appear to look like the average parcel of feathers, by no means belonging to any bird.

I’d uncovered something fascinating and unknown, and couldn’t wait to take it back to Papa! I placed the feathers in my side pocket, and glanced down. To my own disbelief there was a rather large footprint in the earth below me. Large I tell you! How large? Large enough for me to lay down inside of it. Yes, that large!

To some it may be a bit foggy, but do you remember dropping into Presto’s Grove upon your first arrival into Dizzywood? For many, that time came long ago, but if you look out into the distance, you’ll notice the arrival tubes that brought you here. Yup, this is what you traveled through!

Little is known about Dizzywood’s exact location, but history tells us that thousands of years ago, before humans and animals inhabited the world, colossal titans called Ancients could be seen roaming the landscape. Trekking along, sometimes too small to notice, were small faerie-like creatures called Sprites. There are a number of Sprites that you can see cheerfully throughout Dizzywood today, most of which are very playful and admire getting to know you through games, and the nature surrounding them. Hearing them speak may not come so easily, as they must be summoned by musical instruments.

Their more wild and mischievous counterparts are Bogies. Throughout the history of time, they have been known to play tricks, sometimes making it hard for Explorers to travel, or misplacing things. They mean no harm, but can’t resist the temptation to be chaotic at times.

A number of the world’s indigenous animal kingdom, such as the many flying and skittering critters still thrive to this day. They have since become very fond of humans, as many of you have come to own them as your very own pets. They tend to enjoy the company of other critters along with receiving treats you may carry in your backpack.

Much time has passed, allowing these magical creatures to come out and welcome us, but we must always keep in mind that their existence now relies on our care for them and the environment around them. Future Dizzywood Explorers that fall from those tubes must know their history, so it is up to you to continue to pass the stories along.

It’s noticeably easier to breathe in Wildwood Glen these days thanks to all of you that have been hard at work planting trees. There has been an abundant regrowth of trees, proving that Emperor Withering and his belch factories are not as valuable as the fresh air we breathe in Dizzywood.

As many of you may have noticed, Withering has had his henchmen plot dirty little deeds throughout our land. The conniving Rat Wraith attempted to ruin Presto’s Annual Picnic, and now the underhanded Professor Plumpox has been dumping toxic sludge everywhere!

Luckily, they haven’t hit Wildwood Glen during our reforestation efforts, but we must work fast! We cannot take the chance that a third henchman might do harm to all our hard work. Everyday that goes by Wildwood Glen becomes more luscious than before. With more help, we might get close to seeing the day when Emperor Withering leaves the forests of Wildwood alone.

Access to the mines has been discovered. You will soon be able to explore its depths! There are tales of new critters roaming the mines, but they are trapped in Withering’s evil mining equipment. Be on the lookout for a light source that will help you to see in dark places. Spread the word and help those poor critters!

We aren’t quite sure what this is, but it doesn’t look good. Take a look for yourself at what Chief Pathfinder Burrows came across as he was burrowing through Dizzywood’s undergrounds:

Thousands of years ago, when we fell through the air, we could have never imagined Dizzywood would encounter such atrocious creatures that would want to harm this land. Together we united when we defeated Withering’s polluting belch factories, and we now ask for another helping hand.

Explorers, it’s happening again. Chanjo and I have picked up on some visitors that do not appear welcoming. We know this much; they are conspiring with the works of Emperor Withering in attempts to take what is not theirs. We thought his efforts would have ended on that day of defeat, but we now know it caused Withering to hunger for revenge.

Myself, and the rest of the animals of Dizzywood came to this world on accident, instantly falling in love with its true charm. We’ve dreamed of conserving that charm throughout building our civilization, but fear Withering and his henchmen are plotting to strike again.

Please be on the lookout for these unsightly creatures:

Working hand in hand with you,

Presto

Did you know that thousands of years ago, the Dizzywood jungle was home to the Onakasi Empire? The Onakasi were ruthless and arrogant, bullying their neighbors and creating magic that they used to control and subjugate the natural world around them. They summoned powerful bogies to do their bidding and created vast underground temples to hide their treasures. Eventually, they tried to tame the mighty Kaklakala volcano. It erupted and destroyed the entire Onakasi civilization.

Since that time, intrepid explorers have ventured through the jungle looking for the lost treasures of the Onakasi. Withering found out about a powerful artifact hidden under the Onakasi’s famous Jaguar Temple. Withering’s minions drilled deep into the ruins, taking (and scattering) any treasures they came upon, as they searched for the artifact. They took one treasure too many, awakening guardian ghosts who chased Withering’s minions away. It’s unknown if Withering found the artifact or if any of Withering’s minions are still roaming the mines.

The Onakasi ruins have become even more dangerous since Withering’s minions ransacked many of its tombs and temples. The Jaguar Temple in particular is missing the two rare Opal Idols that made up the Jaguar’s eyes. They say that anyone who can return the Jaguar’s eyes will receive magical powers!