In Darkness - Network

So, we think that's it? After that last one, we're done with th'gorram quakes? Th'week's up.

Lizzy's back! She just posted something to the network!

She's at the new place though. This is very exciting. I can't wait for you to meet her.

[She's highly distressed, which probably comes across as entitled and annoyed]

This is NOT my room.

And this looks NOTHING like the island.

What happened NOW?!

What is this weird thing that shows the letters I am typing? Is there a limit to the number of letters and words I can type? It has a bunch of funny looking keys, too. And what about that Enter key? Does that mean I go through this screen? Is that the way I go back home and how I got here? Or is some type of journal thing? Well, here it goes!

Oh. That was boring. Enter just made a new line. Maybe that send button over there? But how to I push it? The arrow buttons aren't doing anything. What is the point of non-working arrows, anyway?

Oh! What was that pointing arrow on the screen!?!? It moved when I bumped this thing to the right. Oh, I can push the buttons and it does stuff!

Okay, clicking send now! Maybe this will send me home!

That was a big earthquake last night.

Is everyone okay?

Love, this was on my nightstand when I came back up from breakfast. Does it mean anything to you? It doesn't ... mean anything to me.

It's not ... the thing she's trap

[inserted is a picture of the Grimhold displaying the image of Sun Lok]

The casting of lots hath resulted in the following. Doctor Banner and I both hath receive-ed riddles.

His:

There is a house with four walls. Each wall faces south. There is a window in each wall. A bear walks by one of the windows. What color is the bear?

Mine:

On the way a miracle: water became bone.

Also, the puzzles hath reveal-ed what appeareth to be a compass and a map.

I must confess that I know not what these tidings herald.

So, it's not enough to take him away; they have to taunt me by leaving his gun in my room?

Fuck you, you sadistic assholes.

Still hanging in there?

Given that the clues of the lottery seem to point toward the panserbjorne of Svalbard, I will tell you what I know of them.

The two riddles seemed to imply "ice" and "bear". The map was fairly self-explanatory; it had Svalbard circled. I'm not certain what the alethiometer is meant to represent in the theme present. The bears don't use them. The prophecy child, Lyra, had one, and she did trick the bear-king into agreeing to engage in single combat with a challenger. Perhaps we're meant to trick the bears, but I won't speculate on that.

Alethiometer are used to detect the truth in things. The explanation is lengthy and I believe pointless in context, but perhaps someone else may be able to work out the relevance of one in the theme of clues. I'd be willing to go into what I know of them if anyone believes it would be helpful.

The panserbjorne are generally solitary creatures, though their kingdom is in the far north, centered near Svalbard. They have a monarchy, though the king can be displaced by losing a challenge of single combat to another bear. The bear king when I was taken was Iorek Byrnison, who was a friend to the prophecy child. There may be some connection there, but again, I won't offer any speculation.

The bears are known as armor-bears because of their skills as metal smiths and their ability to form intricate armor from a substance they call 'sky-iron', or metal obtained from meteorites. Their armor is to them what dæmon are to us. They pour themselves into their armor; it is their protection from other bears and it may bear some symbolism, but any other superstition attached to the armor remains a secret from me.

It did once reach my ear that Iorek's armor was stolen from him and the men who took it did not live to tell of it, but that is third or fourth hand knowledge and I don't know how reliable it is.

I don't know if any of this is helpful, and I'd be willing to expand upon any points anyone thinks may be relevant.

- Isadora

Katrina? I have read of the earthquakes, yet I have not heard from you, are you safe?