To my dear friend, esteemed Headmaster Merle Ambrose -

I write these words to you from the shining streets of El Dorado.

It is true! My life's greatest aspiration is accomplished, thanks in no small part to you. As you advised, the Scroll of Secrets in MooShu gave me the key to unraveling the mystery of El Dorado's Stormgate. Your letter of introduction to Cao Tzu opened the way, and with the Sage's help I was able to make my wondrous Map. My Map worked perfectly, allowing me to finally visit the lost city of legend.

I must also extend warm thanks to Gamma, whose mathematical assistance with my star charts was absolutely essential.

How can I begin to describe what we have discovered? This is a wondrous place, ancient beyond reckoning. The ancient empires of Krokotopia and Old Azteca are but hazy shadows and dim echoes of the wondrous civilization that thrived here eons ago. I have found carvings here that confirm your suspicions that the vanished masters of El Dorado were closely linked to the enlightened builders of Celestia, and that much knowledge and commerce passed between them.

If you ever come here, I expect you would find a wealth of knowledge that would shed new light on the culture of Celestians before the cataclysm. But I must advise you never to come here, old friend - it is far too dangerous.

Every adventurer in the Spiral longs to find El Dorado, drawn by greed. There is indeed gold here, more than can easily be imagined, but I fear El Dorado is far more and far less than a city of gold. This glittering isle is a tomb, last resting place of the wondrous masters who built it so long ago, cast down by their greatest achievement. Something terrible happened here, my friend, long ago. I have not discovered precisely what, but I grow troubled. What we found here nearly killed us all.

I have confirmed your theory - the random perturbations of El Dorado's Stormgate are no accident - they occur by design. After the fall of this great city, the Celestians used their magic to unmoor the Stormgate from the fabric of the Spiral, to prevent anyone from ever coming here again.

In my fervor for discovery, I defied their wisdom and defeated their puzzle. But now do I think I have made an error in coming here. I shall devote the rest of my life to hiding the secret that I have uncovered, and working to ensure that nobody ever makes their way here again. I implore you, my friend, make no attempt to come to El Dorado, and keep silent to any inquiries about the City of Gold and its secrets. They are best left unknown.

My crew, so overjoyed when we arrived (look to the enclosed picture to see how thrilled we were!), barely escaped with their lives intact. They do not know the deeper implications of what we met and fought here - all they know is that they escaped with their lives and a small mountain of gold. We sail away at dawn. I've overheard them making grand plans - most of them intend to take to the skyways in search of glory and adventure, living as pirate kings and queens. I fear such pursuits mean little to me now. I shall retire to a life of scholarship, and work to forget the terrible secret I learned here. I pray it may never threaten you, or your wondrous school. So resolved, I remain

- your dear friend
Marco Pollo