The Ancient Oak
You’ve reached your first waypoint: the ancient oak. And no, this tree isn’t just old. It’s so old that, had it possessed arms (and perhaps a decent Wi-Fi signal), it might have invented the Internet itself—just to have someone to talk to.
As a child, you used to run your hands over its rough bark and find peace beneath its leafy crown. Even now, with suspiciously well-organized squirrels running what appears to be a luxury woodland hotel in its branches, the place still feels safe.
Between its twisted roots, you spot something: a nearly invisible slip of paper. Your heart skips a beat. Bastet’s symbol is scrawled on it, unmistakable and just smug enough to say: “Took you long enough.”
On the back, you find a surprisingly short (and rather snappy) explanation of how the Internet began. It’s the sort of thing that makes you wonder why no one ever explained it like this in school. Possibly because your teachers didn’t have access to ancient oak trees, or cats with an affinity for network protocols.
The words tell the tale of a hidden world—intangible but everywhere—woven between machines and minds. Bastet clearly wants you to read it. You won’t be able to move forward unless you understand it.
The forest path leading toward Ironspire is familiar to you, but Bastet, with the laws being what they are (strict, joyless, and deeply allergic to curiosity), had to take secret routes.
Now, it’s your turn to solve the riddle she left behind—one about the origins of the Internet. Maybe she just wants to make sure you’re paying attention. Or maybe she wants to make absolutely sure you’re ready.
Either way, the thought of losing her, too, tightens in your chest like a badly written loop with no break condition. You sit beneath the ancient oak, breathe deep, and begin reading.
The journey continues—one clue at a time.
Die Geschichte des Internets
1957
Imagine it’s 1957.
The Soviet Union has just launched Sputnik into space, and the USA is worried about losing its information dominance. What to do? Exactly, build a super-secret computer network!
Thus, ARPANET was born, the forefather of the internet.
1989
Faster than you can say „TCP/IP,“
data began flowing through the lines, connecting universities and research institutions. But who wants to read cryptic codes?
In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee had a breakthrough: The World Wide Web! Thanks to simple hyperlinks and colorful pages, the internet finally became accessible to the masses.
the ’90s era
The Birth of Internet Legends
Netscape, Amazon, Facebook – who doesn’t know them? Back then, the internet was still young and wild, full of possibilities and chaos. You could find everything, from serious encyclopedias to obscure cat videos.
Today
The internet is everywhere.
Smartphones, tablets, laptops – we’re always online. Whether for shopping, streaming, learning, or gaming, the internet is our gateway to the world.
And what does the future hold?
Artificial intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things – the possibilities seem endless. One thing is certain: The internet will continue to evolve and change us all in new and unexpected ways.
+ / –
Of course, there are downsides too.
Viruses, hackers, fake news – many dangers lurk online. But the benefits outweigh them: The internet has connected the world, democratized knowledge and information, and created new forms of art, culture, and communication.
