Legacy of Eresh is my submission for the ModJam 2026: Echoes of the Past.

This addon focuses on archaeology, exploration, and the discovery of an ancient Mesopotamian civilization that has been lost to time.

Long ago, the Ereshians built a civilization whose history and knowledge were eventually buried beneath the desert. What happened to them remains unknown.

Today, a village belonging to this ancient civilization still stands. The villagers who currently inhabit it discovered the ruins long ago and made the ancient settlement their home, unaware of many of the secrets hidden within it.

Your role is to become an archaeologist and uncover what remains of the Ereshians.

Video Tutorials

New Biome - Sunken Sands

The first thing you may notice is the Sunken Sands, a new biome derived from the desert.

Unlike a normal desert, Sunken Sands contains considerably more vegetation, including patches of grass and a new type of tree: Palm Trees.

Palm Trees have their own complete wood set, allowing you to use palm wood for building and decoration.

Within this biome you may also encounter the Village of Eresh, where many of the addon’s secrets begin.

Legacy of Eresh also adds 20 new sandstone variants, giving you more options for building structures inspired by the ancient architecture found throughout the addon.

These include different carved, polished, brick, cracked, mossy, inscribed, and structural sandstone variants, along with their corresponding slabs and stairs.

Archeology

Archaeology is the core of the addon.

Your main tool for progressing through the history of Eresh is the Archaeology Table.

Throughout the world, particularly around the remains of Eresh, you will find ancient inscriptions carved into blocks. Some of these inscriptions have golden letters. These are not merely decorative — they can be studied.

To study them, you will need the Lens of Utu.

The Lens of Utu is a special lens made using a new material called Auricite.

Auricite

Auricite is a new ore found in the higher underground areas of the Desert and Sunken Sands biomes, making it more common in caves closer to the surface. You will not find it deep underground as commonly.

Auricite can be combined with an Amethyst Shard to create the crystal required for the Lens of Utu.

The lens allows you to decipher things that the Ereshians deliberately left hidden.

Solite

Solite is an alloy created from Gold and Auricite.

It was used by the Ereshians to create their armor and tools.

Through the exploration of Eresh and the completion of its rituals, you can eventually recover the knowledge and materials necessary to create your own Solite equipment.

Solite armor and tools have special abilities, making them more than simple replacements for existing Minecraft equipment.

The armor also possesses a unique set bonus when the complete set is worn under sunlight.

Manuscripts

When studying an inscription, you will need a Paper & Quill in your off-hand.

Successful archaeological studies can reward you with Manuscripts.

Manuscripts are the main progression item of Legacy of Eresh.

They have four rarities:

• Common
• Uncommon
• Rare
• Epic

There are also two types of manuscripts:

• Normal Manuscripts
• Sun Rite Manuscripts

Each normal manuscript belongs to one of six chapters:

• The First River
• The Light of Utu
• Keepers of Knowledge
• The Silent Guardians
• The Last Priests
• Legacy of Eresh

Each manuscript represents a fragment of one of these chapters.

In the tooltip for each manuscript, you'll find the following information:
- Rarity
- Chapter name [manuscript ID/total number of manuscripts in the chapter]
- The text of the manuscript
- Manuscript status
- Whether the manuscript belongs to a Sun Rite

The rarity of a manuscript affects how difficult it is to obtain. You can also find duplicates, so don't assume every manuscript you find will be something new.

More importantly, pay attention to what the manuscripts say.

The text does more than tell the story of the Ereshians. Some manuscripts contain information about hidden treasures, forgotten places, and secrets that may not be immediately obvious.

Inscribed Tablet Fragments

Archaeology isn't limited to block inscriptions.

While exploring and excavating, you may discover Inscribed Tablet Fragments.

These fragments can be found through archaeology and other sources, and can also be studied using the Archaeology Table, the Lens of Utu, and a Paper & Quill.

Studying them can reveal additional manuscripts and provide another way to uncover the history of Eresh.

Manuscript Case

Collecting manuscripts can quickly fill your inventory, especially when searching for the complete history of Eresh.

The Manuscript Case provides a dedicated place to store them.

Unlike a Bundle, the Manuscript Case allows you to see all of its storage slots, making it easier to organize your collection.

The case can also be dyed (with a cauldron), allowing you to use different colors to organize manuscripts by rarity or however you prefer.

Several other items in the addon are also customizable through cauldrons, including the Archaeologist Hat, Horn of Eresh, Solite Leggings, and the Manuscript Case.

Deciphering Manuscripts

When you first obtain a manuscript, its text will be incomplete.

To reveal the rest, place the manuscript in the Archaeology Table and study it using the Lens of Utu.

The process takes time.

The amount of time required depends on the Knowledge provided to the Archaeology Table.

You can increase the table's Knowledge by surrounding it with bookshelves.

Regular Bookshelves provide 1 point of Knowledge, while Ancient Bookshelves provide 2 points.

Ancient Bookshelves require Ancient Books, which can be obtained in chests, decorated pots and sun rites.

Other items, such as the Archaeologist Hat, can also contribute Knowledge (4 Points). 

The more Knowledge your table has, the faster manuscripts can be deciphered. Knowledge has a limit, which is 66 points.

The table below shows what percentage of the text is revealed based on the Knowledge your table has.

Each study reveals more of the manuscript's text. Continue studying it until the manuscript is completely deciphered.

Chapter Books

Once a manuscript has been fully deciphered, it becomes more than just a piece of archaeological evidence.

With the completed manuscript placed in the Archaeology Table, interact with it using a Book & Quill to restore the corresponding chapter book.

The chapter books contain the complete story of the Ereshians that you have uncovered.

Your progress can be checked directly inside the book, as well as through the item's tooltip.

-

You can also create copies of chapter books using a Book & Quill.

Normal manuscripts can also be copied using a Paper & Quill (While the manuscript is placed in the Archeology Table). Sun Rite manuscripts cannot be copied.

Sun Rites

Some manuscripts are different.

Sun Rite manuscripts work similarly to normal manuscripts, but they do not become part of the chapter books.

Instead, they contain instructions for ancient rituals.

Once completely deciphered, a Sun Rite manuscript can be placed into a Sand Bowl.

Sand Bowls can only be found in the villages of Eresh.

The Ereshians are believed to have used these bowls to make offerings to their gods.

Sand Bowls are indestructible, so don't waste your time trying to break one.

When you place a deciphered Sun Rite manuscript into a Sand Bowl, it will reveal what must be offered.

To make an offering, crouch and interact with the manuscript inside the Sand Bowl.

Some rituals require a single item, while others may require several different offerings. The Sand Bowl will keep track of which offerings have already been delivered and which are still missing.

Once every required offering has been made, the ritual will be completed and you will receive a reward.

The rarer the Sun Rite manuscript, the greater the potential reward.

The Legacy of Eresh

Each chapter contains a special Sun Rite requiring its fully completed chapter book.

These rituals provide significantly greater rewards and can lead to some of the most valuable items in the addon, including the Solar Medallion, which is used in the recipe of the Ereshian equipment.

There is also a final ritual connected to the Legacy of Eresh chapter.

This ritual requires every completed chapter book.

Completing it provides the best rewards available through the Sun Rites, including materials and items connected to the lost equipment of the Ereshians, as well as a particularly powerful relic capable of affecting the day-night cycle.

I won't reveal everything about these rewards — some discoveries are meant to be yours.

Excavation

Suspicious blocks found in places such as Eresh village, pyramids and desert wells have received new loot.

Excavating them can reward you with archaeological materials, tablet fragments, and other discoveries.

Among these treasures are the lost tools of the Ereshians.

These ancient tools are not immediately at their full potential. Some must be restored using the Solite Upgrade before reaching their true strength.

A Final Note

Legacy of Eresh is meant to be explored.

The information above gives you the tools to begin your journey, but it does not reveal every secret, treasure, or discovery hidden throughout Eresh.

Read the manuscripts carefully.

Some things are not explained directly.

The Ereshians left more behind than ruins.