Quiet down, everyone... I'm sure you're all wondering why I've interrupted your studies. Knowledge is not just found in libraries, laboratories or epistolary correspondence. We forget that sometimes. An ancient obelisk has been unearthed my friends. We weren't the first to find it...Insidious schemers and brutish thugs, have beaten us to that honour, sadly...but we must be the first to catalogue its enigmatic depths. Perhaps other expect gold or weapons...I expect better of scholars like yourselves. The obelisk predates verifiable history -- Just think of what we could learn! We cannot ignore this opportunity. I propose an expedition of scholars to seize this obelisk. After all, we are not alone in our interest. Forces are already moving to seize it. Clumsy vandals who care nothing for scientific procedure. All of that knowledge could be lost, reduced to rubble... Thus it is up to us to stand against them. Now, who is with me? Excellent!