Max Web Journeys
By
Eric H
Roth
The HTML Temple
The CSS Temple
The JAVASCRIPT Temple
Trial of DESIGN
Trial of DEVELOPMENT
Dust off book
Crystal Ball
Excerpt from:
Max's Journal
“My name is Max. I have never been very far outside my town before. My day mostly consisted of working in my father’s Black Smith shop, performing most of extraneous tasks not related to smithing. My father says I am not ready to learn smithing and should leave the tasks to the masters. That is fine by me. I would rather be exploring and forging my own path.”
Knowledge
Webillion
In the mystical world of Webillion, where the sky shimmers from an unearthly spider web in the atmosphere, making a mostly average day sparkle like a diamond, an ancient knowledge resides deep within the knowledge that created Webillion. Join Max on his journey for the pursuit of that knowledge, a journey of magic in coding, web design, and web development. Learn how the coding and development process for websites and web apps work, along the way.
Max is a humanoid dog within a humanoid dog nation. It is just one nation among other nations of other anthropomorphic animals and mythic beasts. He journals his experiences along the way as he enters temples of learning and performs trials to prove his skills.
Learn the Technology of this world in these white and blue paper sections.
Web wireframe in Webillion
Spider Walk
Knowledge
Webillion
The world of Webilion is a world in many ways similar to Earth. It has continents albeit with different shapes and sizes. On which, there are mountains, lakes, forests, deserts, rivers. Deep within the world resides many mysterious.
Inside the world is the blueprints for every geological structure in Webillion. The world is hollower than Earth, housing a webwork of behemoth proportions
In this world the law of creation is not the law of physics but the law of code. The code is hypertext magic language html. You may be familiar with html’s use on Earth. It makes the internet useful on Earth and makes Webillion exist. Why does Webillion work this way? If you could ask the Giant Spiny Orb-Weaver spiders then you would know. They are the world builders.
The Orb Weaver spiders reside deep within the Webillion, on webwork that creates and holds the world together. They follow the code – hypertext magic language. Every instruction is carried out by them, constructing and restructuring the webs of creation.
Maximillion Smith
Portrait taken in the forest, Outside New Hanen
Knowledge
Webillion
What type of animal life lives in this world you may ask?
Well, they are not to dissimilar from earth. We have an array of carbon-based critters. Humans are not the dominate species. Many anthropomorphic species live on Webillion. Nations arose from these species that walk on two legs, with a pair of capable hands.
Within a nation of anthropomorphic dogs is a small town of New Hanen. The roads are unpaved. There is a general store, restaurant/bar, Garment store, bank, blacksmith, stables, hotel, woodworker, doctor’s office. Further out are ranchers, farmers, and settlers. It’s an uneventful small town with few outsiders passing through.
This is where the main protagonist max resides. He would be considered a hound mix with brown and white fur. His clothing is American Colonial/Georgian Era clothing that would have been worn by commoners of that time.
Journal Entry
I met up with a camel travelling by carriage on my 4th day travelling. They know the camel tribes and the area well.
The camel named Karim, carried two humps. He was a Bactrim camel. The same camel that was the tribes in the southern area. His long legs stood out in his carriage with inadequate leg room.
Karim made do, standing up at times to stretch out his legs. I rode along side him keep a steady peddling. He Had to peddle less his peddle force was much greater with longer peddles.
Even Karim would get tired of peddling despite his long strides. we would rest for an hour or so aligning our carriages to provide the best shade.
Karim told me he use to be in a caravan that travelled the world. he had stores that reminded me of the Ferrett’s stories. Traveling through hostile territory. He seemed more genuine in his tales not painting himself as the hero of the story.
Karim took me to an oasis with other carriages stopped to drink and cool off. There were also tents we could rest in, a small community. I don’t know what I would do without Karim’s help.
I asked the others about the Oasis. They have all been there it is a popular destination. How have I never heard of it before. Some even treat it as a religious experience, a pilgrimage.
We decided to stay at the Oasis for the night. A nice fire was made and the others shared food with both Karim and I. I chatted with Karim about the lands beyond the doglands, being I had never been out.
He had been to a land of sheep. Humanoid creatures with large curly fur that they call wool. They make clothing to sell to other lands. Karim showed me one of the items he purchased from there. A thick shirt to keep warm, sweater. they design on the sweater was beautiful, great craftsmanship.
In the land of bats there were small, winged creatures that fly most were about a foot tall. There society was built in caves and top to bottom stacked houses, taking advantage of their flying.
I heard about cats. In the land of cats Karim saw all kinds of different people. Tigers, Lions, smaller cats like a Tabby. He verified to me that they are not fond of dogs. As a kid I was told to stay away from cats. seems that cats feel the same way.
Karim and I stand at the edge of the Oasis. He wanted to show me something. The oasis wasn’t an ordinary one. Looking at the surface of the water I saw an image of Webillion from afar. Karim told a story.
Journal Entry
When Webillion did not exist all was dark only distant sounds could be heard. bits of light traveled into the area where Webillion would be.
A creator brought into the dark space the bits of lights and the sounds were no longer distant. they bits of light traveled this way and that in lines, zigzags, and curves.
Hollow lands formed in the dark, land with large caves. Then came the spiders that lived in the land, creating spiderwebs. pulling in other lands in, bringing in bodies of water and the air. Bits of light connected together to form a large light source that lit up the lands. They lands formed a round mass where only part of the land could be lit up at a time.
When Webillion was formed the creator placed the plants and animals and they formed societies. The creator was finished but knew that the creation must continue. The spiders would be the creators but they lived inside the world there needed to be creators on the world as well. Creators that know the outlands.
When the creator felt all had been done he left but not before making the orb spiders the maintainers of the world. The creator knew that the surface dwellers would also need to create. they saw things that the spiders could not. A system was put in place to choose surface creators that proved their worthiness.
In the land of the centaurs that would hold part of the knowledge. In the land of the Sun Bears and Barn Owls(temple owls) they would also hold part of the knowledge. If you are pure of heart, learn the knowledge and pass the trials you can be a surface creator.
I thought this was an interesting tell. I asked him what culture that was from. Karim said the culture of all. it is the story for all nations. Though most don’t seem to know about it.
I asked him how much of this is true. Some stories are based in truth, karim said. He believes it is all true. He has seen the temples for himself and the spiders.
I asked him if he would ever go to the temples to learn. Karim did not feel he had the fortitude anymore for his age to go through that. If he was younger, he would.
Karim told me I could try. I was the perfect age to try….
I was intrigued. I wondered what it would be like to learn at these temples. If they were even real. I was not convinced. I slowly drifted off thinking about it.
It had been two days, when we reached a roadblock on our path.
A large group of camels had cut off our pass. we had travelled from the oasis almost making it to the sinkhole. The disappointment filled me. They had signs saying this path closed. I asked Karim if we could go around. He told me to give him a moment while he talked with them.
Journal Entry
Karim road his wagon up to the checkpoint.
He talked with them for what seemed like an hour. They were arguing with him and didn’t look to happy.
Something had happened at the sink hole. The Camels wouldn’t say what it was. They refused to let Karim and I pass.
Karim told me that there was a way to the sink hole, away from the checkpoint. We would have to leave our carriages to avoid being exposed. Karim asked me if I wanted to attempt the path. I said without hesitation, yes.
A rock formation provided cover for our wagons. Not far from the rocks was a cave entrance. there was a drop down by the entrance. we had to use rope to climb down. Karim came prepared as if he done this before. We entered the cave when the day shined the most inside the cave.
The cave drop down led into a corridor with a low ceiling. I could move just fine but karim had to duck. He scraped himself a couple of times due to the minimal light in the ceiling. Unfortunately, Karim did not come prepared with a torch.
We made our way into a large cavern with logs of passages extending elsewhere. Inside the large area stalactites hung down smooth as if still wet. rock walls of yellow and blue shaded stones. crystalline structures glittered in the minimal light. I’m sure it would be more amazing with more light.
Karim took me to one of the other passageways running from the large cavern. light seemed to show brightly toward the end of this tunnel. Karim made sure I didn’t get to close to the end. As I would find out when I looked up that we were on the edge of a whole. A large whole for that matter, extending hundreds off feet outwards.
Karim said we are here. As I look around I see buildings in the caves, a pit of darkness, and an opening so huge it seemed big enough to let all the sunlight bleed in. We stood on a cliff side looking out.
Karim had taken us through one of the corridors of the underground society, Some of the buildings tilted ready to fall into the sinkhole abyss at any moment.
I wish I had a camera with me. One of those the reporter had. I held tightly to the rock wall as I looked around to avoid not falling into the inky depths. Karim mentioned he stood here before but was still amazed as the first time he visited.
Thats news, Karim said. to our right on the furthest side. a crack had formed pushing out the walls of the sink hole. Large webs connected to each side of the crack. It was such a large gap I was surprised he missed it. Maybe an earthquake created it. it looked like the result of the force of nature.
To the left, were some discarded torches. Someone had been here before. I hope they hadn’t fallen down the hole. I had a mechanical lighter. Karim wrapped some old cloth that was also on the ground around the torches. I set the on fire with the mechanical lighter.
Journal Entry
Suddenly some debris from above fell. it was close, quite large. I felt if could have hit me if I was any closer to the edge of the passageway. I looked down looking at the debris disappear into the darkness below, waiting to hear a crash at the bottom, nothing.
Karim told me he wasn’t sure if he could take me around the hole to the buildings across the way. The easiest path was where the large crack is now. we could try the other way around if that wasn’t also destroyed.
Someone shouted, the voice echoed in the abyss. I looked up and saw camels at the other side of the sinkhole. They must have seen our torches in the otherwise darkness. They used a spyglass. Karim signaled to me to depart. On our way back we could hear some at the entrance. they had pulled up the rope preventing us from escaping.
Karim took me through another path. looking around to see which way to go at a fork. I had the feeling he hadn’t been down this path too often if at all.
This path had crude structures windows and rooms carved from the cave rock, embedded in the walls. It was nothing like the structures in the wide-open cave area we had been at before, with structures mad from materials brought into the cave.
The cave drop down led into a corridor with a low ceiling. I could move just fine but karim had to duck. He scraped himself a couple of times due to the minimal light in the ceiling. Unfortunately, Karim did not come prepared with a torch.
We made our way into a large cavern with logs of passages extending elsewhere. Inside the large area stalactites hung down smooth as if still wet. rock walls of yellow and blue shaded stones. crystalline structures glittered in the minimal light. I’m sure it would be more amazing with more light.
Karim took me to one of the other passageways running from the large cavern. light seemed to show brightly toward the end of this tunnel. Karim made sure I didn’t get to close to the end. As I would find out when I looked up that we were on the edge of a whole. A large whole for that matter, extending hundreds off feet outwards.
Karim said we are here. As I look around I see buildings in the caves, a pit of darkness, and an opening so huge it seemed big enough to let all the sunlight bleed in. We stood on a cliff side looking out.
Karim had taken us through one of the corridors of the underground society, Some of the buildings tilted ready to fall into the sinkhole abyss at any moment.
This path had crude structures windows and rooms carved from the cave rock, embedded in the walls. It was nothing like the structures in the wide-open cave area we had been at before, with structures mad from materials brought into the cave.
Maybe they were built before or after the immaculate buildings. whatever the case it seems they were built by a different group. They stretched out throughout the long corridor. Even as we took another path there were more rooms and windows even what looked like stone slabs long enough to be a bed.
Journal Entry
As we rushed along, I several paths leading downward with steps. Those areas below could go one just as long.
From downstairs, I look and see a camel guard staring at me. I warn Karim and we run. while a group of Bactrim camel guards run upstairs.
I ran with Karim not far behind. I could hear shouts as a group of guards gave chase. I worried that they may be faster than us. Karim urged me to turn into a left passage. The area was darker with barely any light showing the way.
I stumbled on some rock on the ground but avoided tripping to the ground. rock pillars in the middle of the passageway made the pathway narrower. Karim signaled to me to go upstairs before the pathway turned.
Some of the guards took the path to its leftward turn. Others we could hear coming up the stairs not far behind. The Stairway was much narrower. I could feel my clothes rubbing against the coarse rock walls. Karim has duck down as this passageway wasn’t made for camels.
Karim was looking for a turnoff along the stairs. they were all blocked off by large stones. We continued on and made it to a large room.
I nearly took a fall. in the large room were several holes leading straight down. Karim grabbed me to keep me from falling an updraft of air came up from these holes as if they were air wells. The torches we carried lit even less of the way forward.
At the end of the room of holes was a pathway with a large stone wheel in the way. Karim and I pushed on one side to roll it out of the way. It took quite an effort. Guards entered the room. they came at us. We hurried as best we could. I was expecting to be caught.
One of the guards slipped his leg fell into a hole. The rest of his body kept him upright. The Other guards went over to help him giving us time to roll the stone far enough. We squeezed through a small opening. I was first and pulled Karim to help him through.
My Torch went out and I dropped it helping Karim. I used my arms to feel out in front. Karim was way ahead of me, and I couldn’t see very well with Karim’s torch too far away.
The path dropped off as we entered a doorway. Inside were many doorways at one, two, three levels high. We were at the top. several thin bridges offered choices to proceed. We would need to drop down to them, though.
I lowered myself down the edge, extending my arms as they hung off the ledge. dropping off and landing to the floor below. The drop felt higher than it looked. It rattled my legs.
Karim landed much easier as he has a longer arms. We took a bridge path. It was a balancing acting. The bridge path was narrow. I moved sideways sliding the right foot first and then the left.
Journal Entry - Underground
I ended up on the roof of a building. looking down from the building we would need to drop down several levels. The area was much higher than I initially thought. Karim didn’t recognize this area. He also thought it wasn’t as high either.
We were both hesitant to go any further. the buildings lower levels disappeared into the dark. Unfortunately, guards had entered the area from both sides and were combing the area. we wouldn’t be able to wait it out.
The building felt more like the largest staircase as we dropped to the next level and the next.
the building was enormously wide at its bottom. What was strange is it was lighted at the bottom. torches line the doorway, a triangular arch. with an inner glow. a recessed inner door blocked the way in. it didn’t have an hinge to swing
The archway had symbols lining the stones that made up the arch., I had never seen these before, but Karim seemed to be familiar with them.
Karim pressed one of the circular symbols. It began to glow and rotate. He pressed some other symbols that did the same thing. I could hear the echo of guards in the room, making noise landing on the buildings above. I didn’t see another way out. If the guards came down here we would be trapped.
I hadn’t noticed before but much smaller matching symbols on the door lit up. After the last symbol was pressed the door rumbled as it slid leftward. revealing the opening. Inside I could see a large empty room with a tall ceiling. Karim rushed me in. The Guards would soon be here.
At the end of the long room was a pyramid, smooth, black, and shiny. It looked to be made of obsidian stone blocks. On top, an obsidian stone monolith balancing on the tip. The monolith was crystal shaped. It didn’t seem possible but also the monolith floating in the air was also outlandish.
Our, torches reflect off both stone structures. I was worried that the monolith could fall. Karim did not seem worried. He put his hand on the pyramid. He said I should do so also. I was reluctant and said we should find a way out before the guards came.
When I put my hand on the pyramid if felt like I was touching the surface of water. It was quite incredible. I slid my hand down it felt like make a disturbance in water.
I’m not sure what I did but lightning came down from the ceiling hit the monolith lighting up etchings in the monolith came, then etchings in the pyramid lit up, moving down into to the floor lighting up a patchwork of etchings on the stone floor
Journal Entry - Underground
The glow travelled under my feet, moving outward and stopping at the edges. The etchings remained lit up on the monolith and the pyramid. Karim was looking at the symbols as someone would do looking to discern the symbols. Could he understand them?
I asked him if he knew what they meant. “Partially”, he replied. I decided to look for another exit while he continued to look. It was fascinating but I didn’t want to wait for the guards to find us.
In the corner of the great room another recessed stone just like the stone at the front entrance it was much smaller and could have been missed if not for the glow.
It had a give so it could be pushed. Something blocked it from being fully open. I pushed harder with no luck.
Karim called me over. He had a stone tablet in his hand. “Where did you find that”, I asked. It was from the pyramid it ejected from the bottom. I told him about the door but that it’s blocked by something.
Karim pressed one of the symbols on the pyramid the symbol grew brighter, a click sound came from the same corner of the small door.
I tried the door; it opened all the way. Nothing behind the door blocked the doorway. It must have been something in the wall.
Karim was still at the pyramid. looking at the symbols, experimenting with them pressing various ones. He managed to get another stone tablet ejected from the bottom of the pyramid.
I waited by the exit. I could hear movement above. The guards were still in the area. They were much louder than before. wouldn’t be much longer before they were down here. {Knowledge entry after about the stone civilization}
Karim had a stack of stone tablets with him as we left through the exit. The exit leaded to another tunnel. With no other option, we went into the tunnel. It led upwards.
this tunnel was far different from the other tunnels it had symbols lining the wall, Similar to the ones on the monolith and pyramid.
The tunnel was made of square arch sections. its walls had the symbols along with abstract line decorations filling up the whole face of each section. These slabs stood tall. How much work it took to decorate the tunnel. we had already traveled 50 meters, and it seemed to carry on as if we hadn’t started ascending.
The torch was burning down to the end. Our, legs burned as if they were on fire to. It was an exercise just to keep breathing. I was about ready to just take a rest when I heard echos below. The guards were coming up this way. Couldn’t take a chance that they would rest, so we carried on.
Journal Entry - Underground
About the time the torch went out, we made it to a dead end. Rather then give up, karim felt around looking for some trigger, looking for an opening. up on the roof a stone passage. Karim pushed up a stone and slid it to one side. an escape. light filled the area. We must be close to getting out.
Karim helped me with a boost through the opening. I climber up in a building on land surface. I reached down to help Karim get up and we slid the rock back onto its hole. We were in an ancient building with an amazing stone architecture. Full I decorated stone slabs and a square arch way leading outside.
Now that we were back outside. We would need to get back to our carriages. Karim had mapped out landmarks but none of those were in sight. we would need to wander around hoping to come across them.
The wandering and heat of the day was tiring but I kept moving, excited about what I had seen. I asked if it was possible to go back. Karim assured me that we could go back down later on. The Guard patrols would probably on heightened alert and should come back in a week or so.
Karim called me over. He had a stone tablet in his hand. “Where did you find that”, I asked. It was from the pyramid it ejected from the bottom. I told him about the door but that it’s blocked by something.
“What should we do in the meantime”, I asked. Karim suggested we travel to another place. A temple of pillars, where we could see just as much interesting stuff, in Centaur lands.
This was perfectly fine to me. I would pen down all of this in my journey. I kept thinking about the amazing stone structures and that building with the monolith and pyramid, so much more sophisticated than anything I had seen before.
Karim saw one of the landmarks come into view. We were close to finding the carriages.
We took a rest at the carriages. It was best to stay hidden. I enquired about the stone tablets. Karim new very little about the symbols, which surprised me, since he seemed to have an understanding of the symbols on the pyramid.
“I need to get these translated”. Karim said. He would see if the information is valuable and sell it off it was worth a pretty penny.
“You would just sell it like that?”, I asked. I thought it was rash to sell off something so unique. Nothing I had ever seen before. Turns out Karim sells a lot of items. he is a travelling collector.
“A Camel has got to make a living”, says Karim. He showed off some other items he came across. Lots of common items from abandoned carriages. the desert is a harsh place and lots of people don’t make it.
We take our carriages a safe distance from the area. Nighttime was coming soon, and we made camp.