After further consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the posted new version of Astelleron’s logbook for the Ultima 7 Nitpicker Patch does not work that way either. Why?
Based on the Dialogues of Bollux, Adjhar and Erethian as well as the books of McCluth and Astelleron and the “Guide to the Isle of Fire” by Erethian, here’s the canonical prerequisites:
Erethians Guide tells us he is writing it underwater within the dome of air by Astelleron (from: Guide)
Test of Love was created before the island sank (from: Guide)
Golemns were created by Astelleron (from: Logbook)
Golemns Adjar & Bollux are part of the test, thus must have been existing before the isle sank
Air dome was done by Astelleron (from: Guide)
Adjar knows about the book "The Stone of Castambre" (from: Dialogue, Adjhar)
Bollux lives to guard the Shrine of Love (from: Dialogue, Bollux)
Dracothraxus accidently slayed Adjhar while Erethian was on the Island (from: Dialogue, Erethian)
The book "The Stone of Castambre" by MacCuth was written NOT on Fire Isle (from: Book, The Stone of Castambre), yet it is there.
Astellerons Logbook tells us about the creation of intelligent golemns while looking upon the horizont aka overseas (from: Logbook)
Erethian recently lifted the island again (from: Dialogue, Erethian)
The only scenario that occurs to me that all premises taken into account is this:
Astelleron creates the Golemns as part of the Test of Principles (Love)
Shortly afterwards the island sinks. Astelleron cannot rescue himself but manages to create a dome of air around him
Unable to leave his self-built prison he dies there of old age leaving the air dome intact
The book was started over water and ended on its old days under water
Much later Erethian manages to get to the island below the sea, bringing some of his books with him, including "The Stone of Castambre"
Before Dracothraxus shatters Adjhar the Golemns learn about the book from Erethian who has met the two extraordinary golemns
So I changed the dialogues of Adjhar and Bollux accordingly and changed the diary of Astelleron a bit. It now reads:
.. I am exhilirated! Today, while on the main island, I happened by a tree. While this is not inherently odd, I noticed that the tree seemed to grow not out of the ground, but from a large rock. Equally unusual was the five stones surrounding it, each located the same distance from each other and from the center stone. They looked much like they could represent vertices of a five-pointed star.~And then I realized to what I was a witness: the legendary Stone of Castambre. Even had I not noticed the Tree of Life springing forth from the boulder, the Pentacle of rocks gave all away...
... The first test was a success. I used a pick to chip away a bit of the stone. I was startled at first by the bleeding, but as I heard not a whit of any sound indicating pain, I continued. I am about to confer with the book to determine my next action...
... I am afraid I will have little time to continue this journal for the moment. I realize that a true scientist would record daily with the utmost accuracy what he has done and witnessed, but the amount of work each day requires leaves me long past the point of exhaustion. Lord British himself will supervise the completion of the tests. I must succeed...
... I have done it! My newest two golems can actually speak! And they offer original comments, not mere echoes of my own thought. The instructions in the book are correct. Bollux, my first attempt, succeeded, but my inexperience left him a little less intelligent than I would have preferred. However, his "brother," Adjhar, benefited from my mistake with the other, and has full speech capabilities. As I sit now, writing this, I can hear them discussing weather! I must go now and talk with them. Oddly enough, the sky no longer seems overcast...~
... I have grown lonely here on the island. Despite my golems, I have no one with whom I can converse, no one with any personality. Even the animals that survived when I created the dome of air while the island sank, spend less time here than on the main island. Sure, I could have saved myself, but then what would have become of my "children?"~So I stare at the wall of water in front of me every day and and lose myself in the dark beauty of the sea around me. I have no fear of strangers in my dome of air: either I will meet the Avatar, or the golems I created to protect the Shrines will fend off hostile visitors...
As you can tell, I left it as original as possible. By makling the first paragraph the final one, he now first finishes working on the tests, before growing lonely under water. Thus, I only needed to do some small amendments elsewhere.
I hope you like it 🙂