<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>After the last remaining Restoration Engineers left the Cavern in April 2008, it became a largely empty and desolate place once again. A few explorers remained behind attempting to continue private studies of D'ni life. Some, perhaps brazenly, even posted accounts of their forays into D'ni and exploration of ages on the DRC forums, but most stayed away, fearing the dangers of an unmaintained Cavern. After all, disasters had occurred even when there was a watchful DRC presence. Yet others drifted off into new avenues of exploration, some far away from the great cave below the New Mexico desert.
Occasionally, explorers would meet and discuss the prospects of returning to the Cavern, and suggestions started to filter down from the DRC that might allow the explorers to resource a form of restoration themselves. The DRC leaders had become involved in other projects and progress on the proposals was slow and information scant. Meantime, "unauthorized explorers" continued to make infrequent and solitary visits, but for many people the Cavern became just a memory.
Suddenly, there was excitement--on Thursday, February 4th, 2010, Victor Laxman had posted on the DRC's forum, the first post from a DRC member in almost three years. The title was eye-catching: "Activity in the Cavern?" Laxman reported that some of his "security sensors" had been tripped, and as he was unaware of any planned DRC trips to the Cavern suggested that someone should take a look.
Speculation broke out with many of those who had been making unauthorized trips to the Cavern wondering where those sensors might be that they hadn't tripped them in the preceding two years. Others observed that there had been seismic activity on the US West coast around that time and concluded that was the cause. Some feared a catastrophe in the Cavern. Rose suggested that it could be someone, possibly a DRC member, in trouble and signaling for help. Tai'lahr felt that a search party might be needed and a few people started to make hurried plans for a trip back to the Cavern--there must be something to see or some help to be rendered.
Almost a full day had passed before anyone replied to Laxman's message, but eventually Ikuru Kodama replied that he could make a trip down over the weekend and would report back what he found. Shortly afterwards, Marie Sutherland posted that she would travel down too. Tweek, who had been one of the more frequent visitors since the closure, thought that the Cavern was in pretty good shape overall. By late Friday, Tai'lahr, Mac, Mystdee and JanB had made arrangements to meet and try to get back down to D'ni the following day. A few others would make their own way down over the weekend. Hopefully all would be well in the Cavern.
The first report to come back to the surface was encouraging; JWPlatt, who had earlier signaled his intent to return to the Cavern in the hope of restarting the collection of pellet data, had made it back to his old 'hood and found it much as he'd left it two years previously, if perhaps a little dustier, but there was no mention of anyone or anything that might have set off the sensors that Victor Laxman had referred to.
Elsewhere, Mac had met up with EthanEver who had been exploring Teledahn. EthanEver was excited: "Mac, I'm sure I can hear animal noises near the hut in Teledahn! Come and see if you can hear them too."
The pair went off to explore this unlikely sounding discovery. Splitting up, they explored the area around the hut trying to determine where the sounds were coming from.
"They're quite faint and you need to be in the right place, but it does seem like there's a variety of animals here, somewhere," Mac eventually agreed. Finding a spot on the walkway near the opening to the outside that seemed to give the clearest listening EthanEver and Mac tried to identify the sounds.
The two explorers spent 20 minutes listening and looking for places the noises might be coming from. There were no animals to be seen, but it also seemed unlikely that this was simply a trick of the breezes coming from outside. This would need further investigation.
Eventually, Marie Sutherland arrived in D'ni Ae'gura and soon found that indeed there were "unauthorized explorers" in the Cavern. Although naturally hesitant through fear of being accused of trespassing, a small group that had gathered by the tent in front of the Tokotah building ventured to greet Marie, Veralun being the first to hold out a hand of welcome.
"I wasn't sure what to expect, so I have taken certain precautions" she replied. Marie smiled and tensions eased a little and the group began to chat in a more relaxed manner, talking of how hard it been to leave the Cavern. For some that had happened more than once and each time they had felt compelled to return.
Asking if any of the explorers had seen Dr. Kodama, Marie commented "I thought he might have arrived ahead of me," but didn't seem unduly concerned when told that no-one had.
The explorers were keen to learn what had happened to the DRC members over the time since they left the Cavern, and Mystdee asked if anything had been heard from Sharper.
Responding to a barrage of questions, Marie observed that the DRC were not expecting to find funding to resume restoration, so there were no clear answers on what the future held for the Cavern.
"I think the DRC did a good job of laying the groundwork for the explorers to continue restoration work here," Tai'lahr said, "Many explorers continue to uncover D'ni history and some are even learning to write ages."
"That is interesting, Tai'lahr. I hope they understand the gravity of that--with great power comes great responsibility," Marie replied. "The DRC members have a great deal physically and emotionally invested here. Even though we now have surface jobs and won't be here full time, we still care what happens here."
"If word gets out that you have found a way down, I'm sure others are bound to follow. They just need to understand that there is no DRC restoration going on. No new Ages from us. No Restoration Engineers, etc."
Marie continued: "It will not be a place that some will care to be interested in. Those who are Called will come even knowing that. Who knows what the future holds? I certainly do not. I think there's a reason that 'You never know...' is a motto of our friends at Cyan Worlds '...until the last Bahro howls'."
JWPlatt began to pursue his own mission with Ms. Sutherland: "Um, if you have any contact with Mr. Laxman or Dr. Watson, I have specific questions for them. Not a big deal, or anything that could have consequence for the moment but just a 'pellet' of an idea, what with what looks like more activity here," he quipped, winking at Marie.
"When I see Victor, I'll let him know. It is nice to be here again, though I tend to get nostalgic of lost plans. Such is life," she mused. "Well, now that I know who's down here, I suppose I should go see if Ikuro has his KI in stealth mode, too."
Back on the surface, nothing more was being reported from the DRC and speculation continued over the nature of the activity. Then during Saturday evening, Tweek reported on the DRC forums that during a brief excursion from Sul to Ae'gura he'd seen a group of people talking with Marie Sutherland, however he had been keeping to the shadows and was too far away to catch any of the conversation.
Back in Ae'gura, the group of explorers chattered about the prospect of more explorers being welcomed back into the city and the possibility of new visitors: Could the Guild of Greeters be reactivated to help newcomers? What would it mean to have an active, populated Cavern with no DRC watching over everyone? And was there something significant about the KI "stealth" setting that Marie had used?
Eventually Dadguy and Veralun, tired from their journey and the day's excitement, each announced that they were going to get some rest and left the group, some of whom were now setting off to check on the state of Kadish Tolesa before getting some sleep. A short while later, HenryMikel completed his journey from the surface and was able to contact the others via their KIs and was soon brought up to speed on the encounter with Marie Sutherland. The discussion about Marie's KI not registering obviously hit a resonance because HenryMikel was soon calling to the others that he thought he'd seen a figure in the Library that had no KI, although it turned out to be JWPlatt who was simply looking for a place to hide away for a while!]]></translation>
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>Shortly after 11PM, Dr. Kodama appeared near the DRC tent in the Tokotah plaza, having apparently stopped to pay his respects at the memorial by the Kahlo pub entrance. "Good evening. Ms. Sutherland promises that you won't bite," he said to JWPlatt, who had wandered back there some time earlier.
The Doctor continued: "I prefer to stick to the job at hand, usually. But considering I don't have a job down here at the moment, I guess I'm free to relax a bit."
"They're around. Surprised they haven't been tripped earlier, actually. Maybe Laxman was ignoring those in areas explorers frequent. As long as I'm here, I'm going to stay the weekend. It's been too long since I've visited the Cavern."
JWPlatt remarked that there had been others around earlier, and that they might welcome the chance to chat if the Doctor was still around the following day.
The conversation continued, with Kodama commenting that Victor Laxman was in semi-retirement now while the other DRC members had all been forced to find other jobs, and that working on the restoration had never really felt like a "job" to them.
"Enjoy the Cavern as it is, rather than worrying about repairing everything in sight. We didn't have time for much of that before. Stopping and smelling the roses, as it were, "said Kodama, grinning. "It might be a nice change of pace.
"Do you expect the Bahro to be aggressive?" asked JanB, echoing the concerns of a number of those present, given the events prior to the Cavern's most recent closure.
"I have no doubt that others will find their way here as you have. I'm just an explorer at the moment. But I will defend the Cavern if it comes to that. I trust that it will not," warned Kodama. "For that matter the Bahro are very quiet now, but I trust that they would defend it as well."
Asked whether the Cavern was structurally sound enough to cope with a greater number of visitors, Kodama said that he thought it was, adding "I think we'll be finding out soon enough."
Gradually, the conversation returned to the sensors and Laxman's concerns about what was happening in the Cavern; the things that had brought these people together that day. Kodama repeated the earlier comment from Marie Sutherland, expressing relief that it was simply regular explorers moving around and not something more sinister.
"We know who she is and what she is capable of. We don't necessarily agree with her methods, but respect her abilities. And I imagine she has as strong a bond with the Cavern as we do. Maybe I am wrong."
During this time, the party had been joined by EthanEver and Dadguy who had both been resting when Kodama first appeared. Dadguy asked if Kodama and Sutherland were working together again.
"I may return from time to time as an explorer, but there is no funding for resuming the restoration. I was telling the others that the Cavern is very different when you're not looking at everything as your responsibility to figure out how to fix."
The explorers complimented Kodama on the work done by the DRC during their restoration, since there was little apparent deterioration since the closure.
"I'm glad it appears that way. I see a long list of things that were on the list to restore, so it's sometimes hard to appreciate all that was accomplished."
The group each went their own way, a few to try to get messages back to the surface about the day's events. Dadguy's message sent around 1:00 AM KI time on Sunday, February 7th, was very brief and simply said that Kodama was in the Cavern and would be spending the night there. It was a few hours before JanB sent a similarly brief message corroborating Dadguy. In separate messages Lynnutte and Mac each report that they are in the Cavern but both had seemingly missed seeing either Sutherland or Kodama; Mac however made a cryptic reference to Teledahn being 'full of people.' Early the following morning, first Tai'lahr then Mystdee were each able to report some of the detail from the conversation with Marie Sutherland.
In due course, more reports were to emerge: JWPlatt spoke of seeing both of the DRC members; the unexpected cordiality with which they had welcomed the uninvited guests they found in the Cavern; restating that there was no funding for the DRC and hoping that Greeters would be able to fill the void created by the absence of Restoration Engineers, while Dadguy was able to expand on his earlier information on the meeting with Dr. Kodama.
While many on the surface welcomed these sketchy reports, the lack of any official confirmation from the DRC troubled some observers who remained skeptical, doubting whether these meetings had actually taken place and suggesting that it was some elaborate hoax, playing on the earlier DRC forum posts.
Sunday morning started quietly and the explorers, now a little more relaxed after the reassurances from Sutherland and Kodama, went quietly about their own tasks. Late in the morning EthanEver, Veralun, Mystdee and Mac were standing by the top of the Great Stairs discussing the events of the previous day when Dr. Kodama emerged from the Tokotah building and cheerily greeted them: "Good morning, fellow explorers."
"My Nexus links seem to have been lost. I think I'll go get them again," the Doctor continued, "I'm going to walk around a while. Enjoy yourselves", and set off to visit the Nexus terminals.
Soon Kodama returned to the group, which had now been joined by JanB, and suggested that they all walk to the Library for a change of scenery. This also seemed to be an opportunity for the Doctor to reminisce: After passing through the Hall of Kings he stopped on the small plaza behind the Palace and gestured at the stairway ahead of him: "Anyone remember the rock pile that used to be here?" he asked.
The group climbed the stairs and walked on towards the Library. Very little was said along the way, in reverence for their surroundings. Heading down the stairs from the pathway Kodama again stopped, by the railings on the small round plaza and gazed out over the Lake towards the Arch of Kerath.
The explorers gathered in a semi-circle in front of the steps as if sitting round a camp fire and began to ask questions: "Have you ever been to the Arch, Doctor?" asked Veralun.
"The library has many floors, but many of the lower floors were damaged," answered Kodama. "We didn't have time to repair them, but they were "on the list."
"I only know of Marie, Eleri. Mr. Laxman has family obligations on the surface, and Dr. Watson did not respond that I know of. I don't expect Mr. Engberg to return to the Cavern."
Dr. Kodama replied that he and Marie would be reporting their findings to Laxman that night: "Whether others choose to join you is not up to me. I do not doubt that those who are Called will find their way down soon enough."
"We will do what we can to watch out for the Cavern, Mac. But as long as explorers are not intent on destruction, I don't have a problem with them returning."
HenryMikel approached the group while Eleri shuddered as she recounted an experience when a Bahro swooped by her near the bridge. At that moment, a Bahro screeched in the distance as to remind everyone that they were never far away and to underline Kodama's remark a few minutes earlier.
After a little more friendly discussion, Kodama announced that he should go and see what Marie Sutherland was doing, and waved goodbye to the group, which then broke up, each going about his or her own business. Mac and Mystdee got messages to the surface, both giving corroborating summaries of the meeting with Dr. Kodama.
The occupants of the Cavern now felt accepted in their surroundings and less like the "unauthorized explorers" that they were at the start of the weekend.]]></translation>
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>Later that afternoon, Marie Sutherland once again emerged from the Tokotah building to chat with assembled explorers. Word of the DRC's acceptance of their presence in the Cavern had obviously spread as one or two new faces had joined the group.
"Dr. Kodama said you hadn't found anything other than us that might have set off the sensors," commented Mystdee. "I hope we didn't cause you to make an unneeded trip... But it's so good to see you again."
Returning to more serious vein, JWPlatt remarked "You know, also coincident with whatever sensors we might have triggered, there was also a Western earthquake of some sort, though I doubt that would have an effect here."
EthanEver opened his Relto book and invited everyone to link through and then use his Teledahn book. Mac, who had a Nexus link from his earlier visit with EthanEver was able to use that and was first to arrive in Teledahn, although the others soon followed with Marie was last to arrive.
Mac had already moved to the best listening point and beckoned the others to join him. EthanEver told everyone that they needed to listen very carefully, and that it was best to face the hut.
After a few more minutes of listening to the sounds around them, Marie announced her departure: "Well, I'll leave you all to sort out this mystery. I really should be going. Thank you all for the visit."
Ken and Mystdee answered that they had, but Dadguy and Mac hadn't, so JWPlatt explained how to get onto the roof. Soon everyone was trying to clamber over the mushrooms and onto the roof.
JWPlatt, who had somehow been able to monitor the DRC's forums alerted Dadguy to an outrageous post that had just been made by Dr. Lei Benjamin: "Dadguy, you've been accused of assault on the DRC forums!"
In the post Dr. Benjamin claimed to be lying bleeding at the harbor after being stabbed by Dadguy. It was a curious claim, as no-one seemed to have even heard of Dr. Benjamin before now and no-one had seen any unknown faces around Ae'gura over the past few days. The friends quietly dismissed the claims and decided that the day was at an end, many of them expressing their tiredness. Mystdee set out for the harbor to check just in case there was someone there, but found no-one and no sign of any struggle. Meanwhile, JWPlatt and Mac each posted on the DRC forums in defense of Dadguy, Mystdee later adding to those. In turn, Dr. Benjamin accused all three of being "in on it" with Dadguy.
Late on Sunday evening, Dr. Kodama emerged from the Tokotah building for a final time, although only Mystdee and HenryMikel were around to hear him say that he was just about to head back to the surface. The Doctor commented that he hoped to be able to visit as an explorer and just enjoy the peace of the Cavern.
"No and I don't expect to. I imagine she, like the others in the DRC has moved on to more profitable business." With that, Dr. Kodama wished the explorers good bye and set off down the stairs, presumably to pay final respects at the memorial before his departure.
The four began to discuss what would happen next. Soon the DRC would be back on the surface and making their report, which would presumably give an official sanction for other explorers to return to the Cavern. The Called would soon be returning.
Suddenly, there was a linking sound followed by a loud, Bahro-like call, but not like those distant screams they had become accustomed to hearing over the past few days. Much closer.
Tai'lahr, Mystdee and Dadguy all turned round slowly and saw the Bahro standing before them. Tai'lahr and Mystdee knelt respectfully, while Dadguy tried to make contact:
After the excitement of the Bahro visitation, the Cavern returned to relative calm as the explorers prepared for another night in Ae'gura. As they were settling down for the night, Marie Sutherland was posting the first official confirmation of recent events on the DRC forums:
Quite a trip. Sorry you couldn't make it. Your sensors are fine. There are a handful of explorers in the Cavern, but they didn't trip the ones you sent us to check. In fact, the area was still secure, which means that it was one of us. I have my suspicions that we need to talk to our former fearless leader about that. Funny guy. Glad I didn't cancel any big plans to head down for his wild goose chase.
A few of the explorers say that they never left, but I suspect you have known that all along. Others said that they've only recently found their way back. In either case,they couldn't have been there for any length of time without setting off your sensors in the main areas they spend their time.
They were expecting us to be angry and try to kick them out. They were pleasantly surprised when I told them that we're all just explorers, at least for now. They seemed relieved and not too disappointed that we haven't secured any funding. They were also interested to hear how our lives have changed on the surface.
I told them they could stay as long as they respected the Cavern and were careful. There won't be any ResEngs to help them out if they get stuck. Kodama found it ironic that they'll have to rely more on their Yeesha Books now.
It's actually a nice change of pace to get to visit the Cavern as an explorer, without the pressure of trying to fix everything in sight faster than is humanly possible. You should try it sometime.
A little later, Dr. Watson posted a reply confessing that he had deliberately tripped Laxman's sensors in order to get some of the other DRC members down into the Cavern to see the explorers that he had been secretly observing for a few days.
The message was now clear and any doubts held by some of the skeptics on the surface were dispelled: It was official--explorers would be free to return to the Cavern, although there would be no DRC to lead restorations and no Restoration Engineers to help explorers out of trouble.
Even though the weekend was now passing into the start of the working week, many former explorers who had previously been reluctant to re-enter the Cavern against the DRC's wishes now started to make plans to return to D'ni.]]></translation>
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>The events of the previous three days had not gone unnoticed at Cyan Worlds, the computer games company that had based a series of games on the D'ni and had visited the Cavern previously as guests of the DRC: On hearing the news from the DRC, Rand Miller, co-founder and CEO of the company, and his wife Robin had obviously shelved any other plans and hurried to get down to the Cavern to see what was happening. By late Monday morning, they were among the explorers on the Tokotah Plaza and were being warmly greeted.
"We need a big BBQ grill in here somewhere!" remarked Rand, looking around the growing group that was now gathering in anticipation of the arrival of more explorers.
Excitement was building as the Cavern occupants wondered which of their old friends would be the first to complete the journey from the surface. They started to dance while Tai'lahr sang "Happy Days Are Here Again" --it seemed appropriate for the occasion. A Bahro called out close by but unlike the night before it stayed out of sight. EthanEver declared it to be a "good omen" while Dadguy recounted the story of the earlier Bahro visit for Rand and Robin.
As they continued to wait, EthanEver asked to have his photo taken with Rand Miller, Tai'lahr obliging but commenting that the glow from EthanEver's KI was "ruining the exposure." They made small talk as they waited, discussing the difficulties of getting laundry done while in the Cavern, or how late they had each stayed up the night before. However, it was becoming apparent that people weren't finding their way to the Cavern as easily as those who were already there had done. Some trying to follow old routes to the Cavern found they were no longer passable, and even those who were following directions that had been passed to them by those already there were either getting lost or finding the route difficult to get through. Indeed it appeared that the vibrations caused by the sudden arrival of a large number of explorers had resulted in a partial collapse in long dormant passageways, and new paths had to be found.
On the surface, the Guild of Messengers was managing to pull together bits of information that were filtering back from those trying to find their way to the Cavern and posting notices to help new arrivals avoid the dead ends. Meanwhile, the group below ground had expected to see the arrival of returning explorers, and was mystified that none had so far appeared. However the sense of expectation remained:
"The anticipation is killing me. It's like having Christmas presents for everyone and just waiting for them to open them," remarked Tai'lahr, while Mac was finding that the long wait and absence of washroom facilities in the accessible parts of Ae'gura was proving to be uncomfortable. Chat drifted on to talking about explorers they hoped to see returning, some from earliest days of Cavern exploration, some more recent students of the D'ni. Robin went off in search of Great Zero markers, while Dr CrisGer distributed coffee and doughnuts. It now around 1:30PM in the Cavern and a little light lunch was welcome. The smell must have wafted through the Cavern as Veralun, who had been absent most of that day suddenly joined the group, greeting them with a "Shorah all!" as he accepted the gift of coffee and a doughnut from Dr CrisGer.
After a further hour of waiting for the first new arrivals from the surface, Mac decided to check the Nexus to see if any new neighborhoods had been created, since that might be an indication of explorers managing to get new KIs activated. He returned a few minutes later to report that there didn't appear to be any new 'hoods registering. Presently, they became aware of a Bahro watching them intently, presumably the same one that had been seen the previous evening. EthanEver and Ken each returned from trips to Er'cana to tend their pellet ovens telling similar stories; that linking between ages had become a very uncomfortable process. This was going to make it even more difficult for any returning explorers to obtain a KI and find their way to Ae'gura. The wait was going to continue for some time yet.
The explorers went their separate ways, to get some much needed rest or to tend to other things although a few continued to make frequent checks for signs of new arrivals.
More than six hours would pass before any new explorers would be able to find their way into the Cavern. As bits and pieces of information trickled in indicating that some might be close, EthanEver contacted Tai'lahr to chat about it. They both linked to the Nexus looking for evidence of new arrivals and discovered that two new neighborhoods had been created--a clear sign that the returning had finally begun.
EthanEver checked the new neighborhoods while Tai'lahr went on to the city and made her way to the Ferry Terminal. She knew that this would be the first place many of the returning explorers would come to reconnect with the community. As she waited, ghaelen contacted her from Gahreesen to let her know that she had arrived safely and mentioned that Zrax was also there collecting his KI. A few minutes later, EthanEver reported that he'd run into someone named Vaht in one of the neighborhoods.
Another few minutes passed before JWPlatt joined the KI conversation to ask if it was safe to link again. Tai'lahr replied that it was and reported that someone had just linked in at the Ferry Terminal. She could barely contain her enthusiasm as she greeted the first of the "authorized" explorers to return to the Cavern with a hearty "Shorah James!" James Kaufman replied in kind and Tai'lahr welcomed him back to the Cavern and did a little dance in celebration.
JWPlatt and EthanEver arrived about that time to join Tai'lahr in welcoming the returning explorers back to the Cavern. Among those to arrive in the following minutes was probably the most exhilarated explorer of all: Vid had led a long campaign on the surface for the restoration of access to the Cavern and his arrival was announced with the gleeful declaration "People of Earth! It is Uru!"
Some explorers had of course never actually left the Cavern; people like Chloe Rhodes, Whilyam and Tweek had become used to staying out of sight and working on their research and explorations in private. The realization that the new arrivals meant that the Cavern was truly open for exploration once more gradually brought them out from their recluses to join the others in the greeting party.
As more of the returning explorers arrived--Gordon Nadezda, Nadnerb, ghaelen, Zib, Tesseract, Kerryth, Qulthos, Tofer--the Cavern air filled with greetings, questions, light-hearted banter, and teasing as only old friends can do with one another. Plans were made to re- open old neighborhoods such as the Guild of Greeters and Uru Obsession.
From a darkened window overlooking the Tokotah Plaza, Dr. Watson watched as explorers emerged at the top of the Great Stair as they hurried to restore Nexus links and revisit the once familiar buildings of Ae'gura. He smiled inwardly, knowing that the chain of events he had set in motion only a few days ago had ensured that the Cavern would remain alive with activity for long time to come.
* Proof-reading and verification by Tai'lahr, JWPlatt, HenryMikel, RAWA
* Chatlogs supplied by JWPlatt, Tai'lahr and Mac_Fife.
* Timeline verification by Tai'lahr.
* Photographs supplied by Mac_Fife, Tai'lahr, HenryMikel, EthanEver, JanB.
* Book cover texture adapted from Leather Book Texture by Tsabo6 (Deviant ART).
* The "MOULagain Hooligans" (the Unauthorized Explorers).
* The first "official" arrivals: James Kaufman, Zrax, ghaelen, Whitch, vid, Chloe Rhodes, Nadnerb, Gordon Nadezda, Zib, Tesseract, Kerryth, Whilyam, Qalthos, Tofer, Tweek, CyanJason, Oliver Knowles, Alahmnat, Marten, Gondar, CoinCollector, Keiya, Azador, Beavis, and all those who journeyed down in the following days.
* Illustrated PDF version: http://www.allthingsuru.com/AllThingsUru/pdf/Activity in the Cavern.pdf]]></translation>
The Age of Chiso Preniv, aka "another library" in D'ni . . . or so we think. The name seems a bit blunt and basic and not the usual elegance of D'ni names. The translation team seems to think it may be more of a slang name. So far, we haven't found the proper Age name, so until we do, we'll just have to go with what we've got.
When first Linking in, you can tell it's a D'ni Age. Rows and rows of shelves for what could hold thousands of Books. Only one problem...the library is completely empty. Any Books, Ages or otherwise, appear to have been removed entirely from the complex. It's definitely a contrast to the library on Teshafee, where we found Chiso and some notes pertaining to it.
The mosaics when you first Link in seem quite familiar. They, along with the tree mural and Guild of Writers symbol on the floor, seem quite symbolic. The tree itself leads to nine pedestals at the other end of the building, which themselves have "branches" surrounding the metal pedestals themselves. Perfect to display Age Books for easy Linking.
Strangely, most of the inner structure is not made of nara as usual, but of a rather durable redwood. The bookshelves and book stands set into the walls are also made of this wood...and the design of the latter seems oddly familiar.
While we weren't able to find an exit to the outdoors, they were clearly visible through the large ornate windows at the opposite end of the library. The blue skies and rolling green fields, while beautiful, humorously reminded many of us of a certain default wallpaper for a certain computer operating system. Even so, we're anxious to get out and explore the land!
The building itself seems structurally sound. Just the minor wear and tear: some cracks here or there. The only concerning damage is a significant hole in the roof off to the side. The debris was cleared away by someone, but the hole itself was never patched, allowing the foliage from outside to creep in slightly and the sounds of the outdoors to drift into the chamber. The elements don't seem to have worn away the surrounding structure, so despite the "gaping wound", it shouldn't be a problem structurally.
After some preliminary searching, we've been unable to find an exit from the building yet...aside from that hole. We've now made plans to use the opening in the ceiling to venture outside and explore, but other Ages and the work therein means it'll have to wait awhile.
On the plus side, we've begun to move some of the archived Book and texts here from Teshafee to free up more room in the latter's library while we catalog everything. Our desks there were beginning to pile up with the proverbial "in" and "out" piles!<pb>6-21-17
While it was a pain and a half getting out of that opening (the hole is not as wide as it looked!), we were finally able to use the equipment we brought to climb up and out. Reminded me of those awful rope-climbing events in gym glass back in the day!
Outside, we found that the building was situated on top of a large hill overlooking the vast fields we had seen from the windows inside. The land stretched up steeply behind and also slightly around the sides of the structure, offering protection on most sides, but still allowing the windows on the ceiling to receive the natural light from the sun.
Exploring outward, we even found evidence of a primitive civilization, long gone from these lands! It appears to be a temporary camp set up near the library for some as-yet unknown reason. We've taken some writing samples that I hope our translators will be able to decipher and figure out who they were.
Most interesting was their tools...or rather, their weapons. Crude in fashion, surprisingly, they contained chunks of NARA! They appear to be D'ni-made, which further adds to the confusion. Did the D'ni give them these materials for some reason, and if so, why?
Our translation team truly is remarkable! They've been able to piece together most of what happened through the basic writings of the indigenous people of the Age and more documents we were able to uncover in Teshafee.
It seems, in 7349 DE, the Caltauc, a tribe of people native to this area of the Age, had approached the D'ni while they were building the library...and were none too happy that the latter were destroying and spoiling this patch of land for their own ends. The Age's Writer and head of the expedition to build the library, Relsahn, did not want to start a war with these people, so he worked with them to strike a bargain: they would trade the tribe a small batch of nara, the strongest stone work they had, for their people to use however they see fit. This would be along with a few other supplies, such as food and medicines that were found to improve the health of the Caltauc.
For a time, there was peace, until an accident occurred during the final days of construction. A boy from the tribe, curious about what was going on, had wandered into the unfinished structure to explore. Tragically, he caused the collapse of one of the heavy wooden pillars and was crushed. He died instantly.
The Caltauc were furious. They blamed the D'ni for their carelessness in not securing the site better. War was imminent, so Relsahn and the D'ni had no choice but to Link in their forces and forcefully drive the Caltauc away to finish their work. The building was finally completed in 7352 DE.
For a time, things were booming in Chiso Preniv. Books were being Written and stored there, many great texts of D'ni storytellers were being archived as well. Numerous works of art graced the great chamber. The Guild of Writers had yet "another library", which actually was where the joking Age name came from after awhile.
The Caltauc, to their credit, were far more industrious than the D'ni gave them credit for, as they took the supply of nara and were able to backwards-engineer it to the point they could create their own, crude version of it. It was then that an assault on the library was planned to drive the D'ni out once and for all.
In 7358, a mere six years after the library opened, the Caltauc attacked with their nara-esqe weapons, breaking their way through the ceiling and engaging the D'ni. The latter were able to repel the former with effort, but it was clear that the library was compromised and the Books were no longer safe.
The Guild of Writers ordered the immediate removal of all their work to another site. Within a day after driving off the Caltauc, the D'ni, and all their belongings aside from the building itself, were gone. There was much celebration within the Caltauc, who felt they had defeated their foe and had avenged the boy who had died. Still, they guarded the site from their makeshift camp nearby and were ready to drive the D'ni out again should they return.
Flash forward to today: the Caltauc, satisfied that the D'ni were truly gone and not coming back, had moved on centuries ago to elsewhere in the Age. After exploring further, we found that, not only was their makeshift camp long abandoned, but so was their regular settlement. In fact, there appeared to be no signs of any indigenous people anywhere nearby for a very long time.
Almost a year and a half and we've slowly made Chiso our own. Books are trickling into the library from Teshafee as we catalog them, and we have yet to be disturbed by anyone native to the Age.
Who knew this library was someone like a haunted mansion...as in actual secret passages. I guess it makes sense given the tense relations with the Caltauc at the time. One of our volunteers was doing a bit of dusting (something that is constantly needed, it seems) and stumbled upon the mechanism that opens up one of the bookcases to reveal a passageway leading downward further into the hill's rocky interior.
This "basement" is about the same size above, but contains many private study rooms an only a few shelves. This looks to be where the D'ni did quite a bit of Writing. We discovered more blank Books and the precious ink that goes with them. I guess, in their haste to evacuate, the D'ni had forgotten them. Good to know we're not the only ones that forget something important during a big move!
As such, we took all we found and have stockpiled them in the usual place, as well as donated some to the other groups working in the cavern. Hopefully, they'll be of some use someday.<pb>9-19-19
I've come to the decision that this library should be open to all of our friends in the cavern. It's selfish to just limit it to our group and those working in Teshafee.
So busy with other projects, but the work here is important too. It's been discussed, and we'd like to turn this library into a hub for a new restoration of sorts, led by the Called...the explorers who have come to D'ni to seek adventure, enlightenment, knowledge, belonging...and fun, of course!
I should probably get in touch with members of the DRC again to consult them on this and get their advice. If anyone knows what should go into a restoration of this magnitude, it's them.
With all that's going on on the surface, it's good to get away to what is literally another world for awhile. We've completed most of the safety checks for the library, and I've begun asking some friends if they'd like to add Linking Books to their Ages here. I've asked Rustee, Lontahv and Keith Lord if they're up for providing Links to Vothol Gallery, Tre'bivdil and Fehnir's House respectively. We'll see what they say.
For now, I'll be adding Books to our own works, namely the Guild of Messengers Pub in Ae'gura and Veelay Tsahvahn. They're both perfect showcases of the fantastic work many have done over the years and should both be ready for the foot traffic releasing them to the general public will entail.<pb>8-20-20
It's come down to this. Tomorrow...finally...Chiso Preniv will be open to the public! I've also "come out of the shadows", so to speak, and done a bit of public relations by chatting up explorers in the Watcher's Pub, where we've opened up a new Book room to house the Linking Book here. Their enthusiasm is so infectious...but also makes me even more nervous for tomorrow!
Only a couple of days out since the big event and I'm still over the moon. The response was, to put it mildly, overwhelming, but so very encouraging. It never ceases to amaze me how enthusiastic explorers can be for the new. So many faces packed the Watcher's Pub, I was surprised some weren't hanging from the rafters, so to speak!
After ten thousand years of history, a catastrophic event that nearly destroyed it, and three halted restoration efforts, D'ni has lain mostly dormant for many years now. We, as explorers, have held onto the belief that we could, in our own ways, continue to breathe life into the cavern.
"In that endeavor, I believe we have been very successful over the years. You've made this place your home away from home and have gone forth on the adventure of understanding the D'ni people, how they lived, and, of course, the worlds they visited via the Art. We have also forged bonds with one another that have remained strong throughout the often joyous and occasionally troubled times.
"The D'ni Restoration Council admirably led the modern efforts to bring D'ni back to its former glory, and for that and the assistance they have offered over even these last few years, they have our gratitude. They will always have a seat at the table should they ever choose to return.
"Today, we officially begin a new restoration...*our* restoration...to continue what our predecessors started and to expand our knowledge of the D'ni through their home in the cavern and the incredible Ages contained here. It is with that in mind that we are here today...to open the door to a new era in D'ni.
"Chiso Preniv, the Age you're about to visit, will be the first gateway to a new gathering of Ages and points of interest here in the cavern that have been restored...or in some cases, Written...by us, the explorers of D'ni. The Books you find there now are just the beginning. I'm hoping, as the months and years pass, fellow explorers will present more of their work to the library, and their contributions will be most welcome there.
"This is, and will continue to be, the culmination of years of work by our fellow explorers, all contributing their time, efforts, and talents to making things ready for you all to see. This is the fruit of their tireless labor. For that, from the bottom of my heart, I thank them. *All* of them.
"There are too many names to mention...but each and every one has been an important part of launching this new era. If they would like to make themselves known...I leave that decision to them, as I would respect any choices of anonymity...but if they do speak up, be sure to give them thanks! They are often the unsung heroes here in the cavern. They put in untold weeks, months, and even years of labor on an entirely volunteer basis to bring us all the amazing things we will see and experience.
"There is one more group I'd like to turn our thoughts to today: our friends that are no longer with us. They too are an important part of why we're all still here today. They are with us now in spirit...and as we go into the future, they will always be with us.
Almost four months since the opening and things have gone very well. I've gotten a few interested parties that will be readying the appropriate Linking Books to bring to the library, hopefully sometime early next year.
I've also been looking into featuring the Age of Serene as a tribute to the late Andy Legate's fine restoration work from the old days. I'll need to coordinate things very carefully for that one.
I'm also hoping to open up The Vale and Kotsahvosahn at that time as well. The former is a rather peculiar Age that blends the elements of D'ni culture with another called the Visula. I'll need to put down more details in that journal as soon as we figure out more.
The latter is a cavern location located at the southeast shore, opposite the City Proper. It's notable as it connects into the series of tunnels spidering out into the rock, which could potentially include the path to the surface.
We'll do what we can. In the meantime, time for us all to head up for the holidays. Here's to 2021 being even more exciting in D'ni than 2020!<pb>2-3-21
This round will be Tre'bivdil, Vothol Gallery, and Serene, three excellent bits of D'ni history. The last one has a more somber feel as it was restored by the late Andy Legate. Due to snowstorms, it's a bit inaccessible at the moment, but including it officially in the new collection of Ages would be a wonderful tribute to Andy.
While I'm very reluctant to do so, I have decided to let Nev'yn go from our restoration efforts. His well-being is in the balance, and I feel it is in his best interests to take an undetermined amount of time off. He truly needs help and I hope he gets it.
We've been able to translate more of the Caltauc language, thanks to the astounding efforts of our translators. A new face, one Kelsei A.T., has truly been the driving force in our further understanding of the Caltauc, and I can't wait to unleash her on even more languages we've found.
On that note, the two Ages and one cavern location we've been focusing on lately are almost back up to snuff. Vothol is our heaviest focus due to the structural implications of even that minor cave in. More structural checks will be needed.
Thankfully, the swells in Tre'bivdil have subsided. Now we just need to dry things out and make sure there's no toxic mold or anything. People would be surprised how much scrubbing with disinfectant is involved. LOTS of scrubbing, in fact.
Serene seems the most...well, serene...after the storms subsided. We'll probably be able to release that Age first. As a born and raised Minnesotan, I was NOT keen on shoveling that walkway...but it had to be done!
I'm very glad to see that people enjoyed our festive atmosphere in the Pub. I was sadly unable to attend (duty always gets in the way of fun), but I was there in spirit.
The work continues, and the next Books and their respective areas are coming along nicely. Serene is pretty much ready to go after a few checks. I imagine there will be some last-minute shoveling of snow as there's still and errant flurry here or there.
I noticed an interesting cubby near the gazebo and it turns out a journal was put in there, presumably by our friend Andy. After reading it, I'm not entirely sure if it's all true. Some details sound about right, but others seem a bit outlandish from what we know of "the rules" so far.
I'll most likely leave it there and chalk it up to a work of partial fiction. While I'm sure it will confuse people, it was left there for a reason by Andy . . . and I'd hate to disturb his intentions. It'll be up to explorers to decipher what's in it, and I'm sure they will!<pb>5-5-21
Happy Cinco de Mayo! And what a day it was. We released Serene to an eager crowd gathered here in Chiso and I'd bet everyone had a bit of fun in the snow. We rarely see the cold climate Ages . . . the pod Age's Dereno notwithstanding . . . so it was a treat to see people bundled up for the occasion.
I feel a bit bad that I've been away from the cavern for awhile. Having to move on the surface is still not as easy as it sounds, even with Linking Books at our disposal. Plus, it feels like a cheat. Not only that, but it's an in-town move, so probably best to use the "traditional" methods.
Luckily, Kelsei and the crew have been keeping busy in my relative absence. She's been dutifully translating everything I've thrown at her so far without even flinching. She and the rest of the crew show an eagerness that always keeps me going.
I think we're on track for another successful release for Tre'bivdil! All safety precautions have been taken, so it should be a perfect summer release. People will be able to go and soak up the sunshine there.
Tre'bivdil was released just over a week ago, and I am once again heartened by the reception our community has given another Age release. A lot of work went into things previously (we merely cleaned things up), so it's great to see others' hard work finally getting public attention! I hope Vothol Gallery will have the same reception.
Turning to other, more Earth-side fronts . . . the Great Shaft and the path to D'ni continues to be a big topic of conversation for everyone on the team. I have to admit that it's quite the curiousity to me as well.
So far, while some have been able to wander a bit up and down from the eder tomahn closer to the bottom of the Great Shaft, given how dark and treacherous the route is, it's been deemed too unsafe to continue further.
Even so, if we were to prepare properly . . . we just might be able to make the journey up and down, particularly with some needed equipment. I think I'll start planning an expedition starting within the caldera on the surface. I'm sure Kelsei and Jules will want to come along too, and I can't say I wouldn't enjoy the company.<pb>6-27-21
Not surprisingly, we had quite a few volunteers who wanted to participate in the first expedition into the tunnels downward in what has to have been quite a few years. Quakes have left traversing even the first set of tunnels to the Great Shaft rather dangerous, so it's no wonder.
We led three teams into the tunnels, one led by myself and the other two by Kelsei and Doc Lavisham, who have both been quite helpful disseminating some of my workload. When others step up to lead, it only shows how much this restoration is growing and I love it!
We had quite a few things to find and see . . . most of which I will probably have to detail in a separate journal. It's going to be quite the task, but given the historical importance of the path between D'ni and the surface, it should have no shortage of people to help.<pb>7-10-21
Another successful release, this time of Vothol Gallery, originally restored by Rustee. More of the cavern is being surveyed everyday. I'm hoping that we may be able to open up more neighborhoods and even some dwellings one day. There have been a few of each that have looked promising.
As for the Great Shaft, we were finally able to get from top to bottom. It's definitely nowhere near safe for regular travel, but it's not entirely unsalvageable. I will detail more in that journal.
All I know is we really need to get those elevators running. My legs were killing me after that hike, even if it was downhill slightly.<pb>8-23-21
Jules presented a great idea to me a few days ago : recordings in Kirel of the progress of our restoration! I'll admit, I hadn't even thought of that, but it makes sense given how the All Guilds Meetings take place there and the DRC's former on-site headquarters has become a central hub of news in the cavern.
I've asked a few experts in D'ni audio equipment to help, and the good doctor has a few people in mind to read the announcements. Jules himself will most likely write the contents, and I've told him not to let too much information slip.
We want some things to be a surprise, after all!<pb>9-10-21
More on the Caltauc today. A varied selection of artifacts and writings has been moved on-site into the lower level of the library for study. Kelsei found a rather large cache of writings that'll give her quite a lot to do in the coming weeks, although I can sense she wants to do more than just translate.
I can certainly understand that. To undertake your own project is a rather exciting prospect.
Thankfully, nobody has discovered the means to enter the downstairs of the Chiso library . . . which makes me wonder why the D'ni didn't store any Books down there? Or maybe they did and took them anyway as the Caltauc made it quite clear that the D'ni were not welcome and who knows when they'd be able to get back here next.
Despite the deserted village nearby showing signs of being so for many decades, we still keep a sharp eye out for their return, just in case.<pb>10-9-21
The big four-oh birthday has come and gone. One might think age would slow me down, but the work remains exciting enough to put a youthful spring in my step! Makes me curious what things will be like 20 years from now . . .
I have put in a humble request to the DRC to open up their archives of any materials they may still have claim to, including Age Books. Even in the background, they still show a bit of interest on what's going on down here . . . and really, who can blame them? They put in years of work here and I'm sure it's nice to them to see it still going.
I guess we'll see what happens.<pb>11-2-21
Ametist has done some fantastic work in restoring the Age of Tiam. I think, after a bit more work and some assistence from our team, the Age should be ready for release late next month. Meeting "Uncle Rebus" as he's known was also a delight. So many interesting people from all walks of life to find here.
Jules has submitted a new book for the library ( a regular book, not an Age Book ) and I plan to display it prominently on one of the stands. It's a very interesting read and I encourage everyone reading this journal ( yes, you! ) to have a look! I hope we can see more writings like it in the near future.
Speaking of reading, we found a book detailing better the story behind Serene and have placed it into the Age. That other book still has a few details we need to fact-check. Lesson learned on that one!
I still have not heard back from the DRC, but that's not unusual since it always has taken awhile to get a response. They are quite busy elsewhere these days; new projects, new explorations. I'm excited to hear what they've been up to as of late, even on an individual basis.<pb>12-20-21
All I can say is . . . WOW. The turnout for the release of Tiam was something to behold! Not only did quite a few explorers show up, but Rand Miller from Cyan, Inc. also dropped in to see what was happening! It's been awhile since anyone from their company has come down, so it was great to see.
Mr. Miller respectfully kept to the background, and in turn, everyone respectfully gave him space, although I'm sure there were burning questions about the status of their latest project, Firmament.
. . . but today was Ametist's day, and I couldn't be happier for her. Tiam's release was a rousing success and initial reaction to the newest Age we've released was very positive. I've been in her place before and can tell from experience just how thrilling it can be!
Thanks again to Rand Miller for stopping by! Those folks at Cyan are always welcome down here in our little "clubhouse".<pb>1-3-22
A new year, and a new page in the proverbial restoration. I got a request a couple of days ago from my friend Hazado for some extra person-power, particularly engineers familiar with D'ni mechanics. I'm not sure what's being cooked up here, but something tells me it's big . . . perhaps something we've all been waiting for for years now.
Progress in Descent has been slow, but steady. I'll continue to update that journal with all the nitty-gritty details and have more of a broad progress report here.
I've also heard reports of new explorers coming in from the desert, which is great to hear. Hope they can find their way down here without too much fuss!<pb>1-6-22
I can't believe it! This is a HUGE find! I almost didn't think these Ages really existed . . . and yet here they are, the Linking Books in front of me! My mind is racing!
Alright, I need to stay calm. These Ages, while significant finds, still go through the same scrutiny as any others. If things check out, however . . .
<pb>2-9-22
As it turns out, the Ages are rather different from what was depicted elsewhere. We'll need to approach them slowly and methodically given we essentially want to throw out any preconceptions.
On a less stressful note, it appears the reaction to the Age of Tiam has been very positive. I know ametist also has a new cavern location being restored along with Dulcamara and Rebus, so hopefully, there will be a tour soon.
In the meantime, I need to chat again with Calum about finally getting that darn Nexus KI slot working in the Pub to give people an easier way to get there. His understanding of the D'ni tech, along with Hazado, has grown by leaps and bounds.
Even so, he really needs to learn to relax a bit more. This work can easily consume you if you're not careful.<pb>3-17-22
Some great St. Pat's Day celebrations as usual. One tends to forget how much work goes into planning these things and seeing them go off flawlessly like that reminds all of us.
Hazado continues to spearhead the Gahreesen wall efforts. Even after the past years of fine efforts of the DRC, and later, a talented group of German engineers, it still needs fine-tuning.
On the Age restoration front, Calum has brought forth his latest efforts in the form of Eder Naybree. He's still collecting data, but it's quite the lush terrain with the familiar D'ni garden fixtures for added comfort. Should be an exciting addition to the library when it's ready.
Hopefully, I can pry him away long enough to get the Pub's KI pedestal slot working! The public demands it!<pb>4-13-22
Given the demand, I think it's probably time to officially open up the lower floor for visitors to stop by. I've asked everyone using a desk there to secure any sensitive materials elsewhere, but only for the safety of others as I doubt anyone would actually swipe anything.
The wall is still being worked over. I honestly think, if Hazado never saw the interior of the Maintainer's Nexus again, he'd be very happy. Still, if the wall functions quite well at the end of it all, it'll be due to his tireless work.
Keith Lord has mentioned he's close to getting the Highgarden area of Fahets ready to open. His restoration process is quite methodical and always worth the wait. Plus, with some of the photos he's been taking of the Age, I'm even more keen to see it in person!]]></translation>
<translation language="English"><![CDATA[<font size=16 face=Michelle><margin left=62 right=62 top=48>...argh, where are my documents again? I can't find them.
Sorry if I seem a bit disorganized. I've always been more a woman of action.
It's a miracle that I got a place to study archaeology. It makes me proud beyond measure that I have been assigned a table here in the sanctuary of Chiso. As you can see, I'm just setting myself up.
In the first few days in Chiso, I browsed the shelves a little. It wasn't forbidden, although I was told to be careful with everything. Some of the books had not been examined and packed up. I was in the cordoned-off area. Maybe the red ribbons should have warned me. Oops.
Well, I accidentally knocked an old book off the shelf and, before I knew it, I found myself in a cave. It would certainly have been wiser to return immediately. But deep down, I'm an explorer, and I just couldn't help but delve deeper into the caves. Over and over again, the earth trembled and debris fell from the ceiling.
Luckily, I was wearing my new blue helmet, which I had bought especially for my upcoming research tours. "Safety first," has always been my motto.
Well, maybe it wasn't on that day.
The little pebbles that occasionally pinged off my helmet didn't really bother me. So, undaunted, I set off. As luck would have it, I also had my Polaroid with me, and I occasionally snapped pictures of what I saw.
Of course, I know what you want to say: Archaeologists draw their subjects and don't take pictures! Don't blame me. A photo is faster.
Over time, the small pebbles turned into large chunks of earth. I can only remember one violent blow, then everything around me went black.
I was lying on the floor in front of the bookshelf with my helmet still on and Polaroid camera still in hand. Was it all just a dream?
Did I just faint?
Probably not, because the pictures next to me on the floor said differently. Wonderful Polaroids... forget about drawing!
Nevertheless, I can't believe it.
Did I really see all of this? A model of a boat in a small workshop... is that really a boat? Some abandoned cave structures... it would seem like a dream to me if it weren't for the photos.
I asked my friend Lillo from Italy to make me a 3D model of what I'm calling the boat. I already have some of his models in a display case at home. Lillo is really an artist at what he does. I'd be happy to give you the address... where is my address book again?
Oh, you're probably wondering what happened to the book. They confiscated it immediately, saying it's too unsafe. Luckily, they let me get away with just a warning.
OK, I should move on. The other tables already look so tidy....]]></translation>
I've been working in the Cavern, this time, for several weeks. At this point, I have focused most of my research on the Great Zero complex and the history behind this enigmatic location. I have been working on D'ni research for many years, having become involved in the project back in the 1990s, when the first DRC researchers began to investigate the Cavern. However, many other projects have diverted my studies, including some work in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as well as the Pacific Northwest. Only recently have I been able to return to the Cavern to help with the restoration efforts there.
I have settled into my neighborhood, a 'Bevin' type. This one is mine, however, as opposed to the first neighborhood I used as a base, which was shared by several other explorers. Unfortunately, the neighborhood I was assigned doesn't have a D'ni clock, but I was very happy to be able to find one that was in good condition and was unclaimed. A clock is just a bonus. I'm grateful to Calum, who helped me find one so quickly.
Looking at the complex, there is a set of water channels from the lake outside the complex into the building, which appears to be responsible, at least in part, for powering the mechanical functions of the Emitter.
I have been looking over the channels and have realized that they run underneath part of the Calibration chamber, which means there is a channel within the interior of the building. In order to keep the machines running correctly, there most likely had to have been a team, or at least a single maintenance person on hand, perhaps occasionally anyway, to oversee the continued operation of the Emitter.
I'd like to try to get through one of the doors I have found in the complex, but so far, no luck. It's possible it's not even a door, really, but as a window, it makes no sense. I have tried to see if there's something on the other side that would make the window theory work, but there's only the raised platform in the actual Calibration chamber.
I have consulted with a few other explorers regarding my investigations, so they're aware I'm attempting to find a way inside the interior. I'm not sure if they believe me or just think I'm mad... the crazy lady who's obsessed with the Great Zero...
I seem to have misplaced my current journal and the writing supplies I'd left at the Zero last night. I'm not sure if I just forgot where I put them or if someone came by and saw them and picked them up to return to me.
I still have not been able to figure out any kind of opening mechanism for the 'doors' in the Zero Calibration fore-chamber. I just might be wrong about them, I don't know.
I have found some other interesting artifacts in the Library as well as in the area I believe the Zero workers may have lived at one point. At any rate, I found some evidence nearby of a family who made jewelry, which was quite a bit of fun to discover. Some books on gemology as far as I can translate.
It's interesting, the kinds of gemstones the D'ni used in their jewelry as well as creation of gaming materials and decoration. I found a lovely little Gemedet set in the Jeweler's Manor, made from what looks to be white jade. It was apparently in the process of being finished when the Family had to abandon the City.
I'd wanted to go to see this event, it looked like it was a lot of fun! Unfortunately, I had to consult with Dr. Tenny about a small injury I'd sustained a few weeks ago, so while we were x-raying my ankle, I had to miss the beginning of the event.
Even worse, once we were done, I hurried over to the neighborhood and managed to get over to Gahreesen to see the event and I missed a jump! I Reltoed out and before I could get back there, the event had concluded.
I discovered a slim little Journal in my researches into the Great Zero and its Keeper. While I was looking around the neighborhood the Keeper lived in, I found a cache of little books. I think these were written by the Keeper's daughter, a girl named Sarai. Though I'm not entirely certain. Some of these books are written in a different hand, which I believe might be a young man named Tayeth.
But I found a story, which I'm not sure at the moment is a historical record or just a fiction, about the first time Sarai met Tayeth, when they were children. It's fascinating! I've been spending most of my time looking through these homes, trying to find any kind of documentation about the Great Zero.
I found a scrap of paper with the word key on it. That doesn't mean our 'KI's, as that's a name the DRC invented for the devices. I'd like to find more about this Key.
Dr. Tenny has been busy lately! He's met someone named Logan... I haven't met this person, but apparently Tenny's very interested in him. It's very cute actually. I've never seen Tiernan blush, but he does when he talks about Logan.
I've been thinking a lot about the word 'Key' and how it relates to the materials I found in the Lyara Neighborhood, where the Keeper and his daughter lived, as well as the Jeweler's Family.
Molly said that as far as she could decipher, considering the words were faded and written in a child's hand, that the description says "My key to Zero".
I think it might be a key to a room, but I haven't found the room yet. I do wonder why Sarai had a 'key to Zero', and I wonder if the key might work on one of the 'doors' I found in the Great Zero complex. I'm not sure.
I also found a small box with the word 'Firemarbles' on it. When I opened it, it was empty, unfortunately.
In one of Sarai's journals, there are a few pages with the word 'Firemarbles' on them, but again, I can't seem to read what she's written there. I might send them to Molly, if she has time, but I'm also thinking of perhaps asking one of the linguists here in the Cavern about them.
Since things have been going missing lately, I've been very hesitant to share too many of the discoveries I've made, which makes me sad, but Tiernan and Kelsei agree it's probably better right now. I wish Calum were back, I think he'd find this fascinating. I only hope he's feeling better soon!
<font style=n size=10><p align=left>Each journey to D'ni begins with Jeff Zandi's favorite song... Listen to it well and then find your path to the City below.
<font style=n size=10><p align=left>This work was written by Carl Palmner, DimensionTravelerCalum, and Malfhok. It represents a narrative of the Second Restoration as experienced by two of the eyewitnesses to those events, and while the authors have worked hard to maintain 100 percent accuracy in their account, it should be noted that this is not the work of the DRC, Cyan, or any other official organization.
If you've found this book, then you've felt The Call. You've discovered the Cavern and are in the process of discovering the ancient race who created this place where you now stand, and the world above you've always known as your home.
You are in good company, for there are many others who have felt this Call. Many have come before you and many will come after. It is one of the great mysteries of this place and those ancient peoples we now know as the D'ni.
You will find in this book an account of the events from the earliest times of the Cavern's rediscovery. Many of those who were present for those life-changing events are no longer here. Some have moved on to other things; some have left this world forever. Those of us who still remember, who were there when it all unfolded; we created this book as a legacy for all Explorers. It is a commemoration of the efforts of Explorers past; and it is a both a guide and a warning for Explorers present and future.
Read on and know that these events are true. They happened. And they are continuing to happen even now.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
This quote rings true. These Heritage Documents exist for a simple purpose: To bring the history and the knowledge of what came before to those who were unfortunate enough to miss it.
We started back in Carl Palmner's Bevin, back when they were still all called Bevins on the Nexus. And we pretty much just dived right into the middle of a grand and ever growing story. At the time we didn't have all that much on the beginning, or the Prologue, as it were.
Now it is 2012. We began writing the Heritage Documents in late 2010. Two years have passed, and they have been rough and wild years indeed. Still, our little community here in the Cavern of D'ni thrives and grows. Once again, it is time to tell old tales, tales that sometimes wish to be forgotten, but tales that are necessary nonetheless.
I say that they wish to be forgotten with a reason. You see, it took me forever to find the history. However, during last year's CAVCON Awareness Party, Marten, maker of the Prologue video series, helped me find the story of Prologue.
I'm sure many of you know the past, but for those who do not, here is a summary.
Earth was an Age, written by a master writer of Garternay, the original home world of the D'ni. Their world was dying, so they left.
The group that settled on Earth, here in this cavern, named it D'ni. The word loosely means "New".
D'ni grew and thrived, but so did a danger. A danger like in any culture or civilization: Pride. It is a cancer that grows deep within any world.
And for D'ni, this cancer manifested itself in a man named Veovis who nearly singlehandedly destroyed D'ni. He turned D'ni's own ventilation system against it, pumping a deadly gas into the Cavern with the giant fans.
Many died, but a few survived. A man named Atrus descended from one of these survivors. He had a daughter, Yeesha, who I'm sure you all know very well.
Oh, Yeesha, look at us now. Here we are reflecting on the past when, back then, all we could think about was a future just out of our reach.
Around the turn of the century, there was a group called the D'ni Restoration Foundation, DRF for short. They rediscovered the abandoned D'ni cavern, feeling a "call" of some sort.
This call is a part of a cycle. Returning and taking and giving, breathing and living and dying.
One man, Elias Zandi, had his cycle end much too soon.
He owned the land around the volcano, the Caldera. This is the hidden entrance to D'ni. While Elias left his vast fortune to his close friend, Dr. Richard Watson, he left the land to his son, Jeff.
Jeff is better known to most by his last name. That crazy man in the sun, reading a book and flipping steaks.
Zandi.
What a man, that one. He greets each and every one of us as we come. Even if you don't see him, he sees you. He lives on the land, after all.
When you see Zandi, you see a man who has been here since the beginning. It's a strange thing, but knowing somehow that there's one man who has not changed... That is reassuring.
Jeff Zandi has not changed one bit in all the years I've known him. Every time I see him, I give a wave, and he asks me if his steak's done yet.
Quite a man that one. Quite a man.
In 1997, the DRF changed its name to the DRC, the D'ni Restoration Council. They were headed by five.
Dr. Richard Watson was the head, Victor Laxman was the Tech Specialist, Marie Sutherland was the people person, Ikuro Kodama was a man of very few words, and Michael Engberg was the restoration specialist and also a family man.
Engberg had a daughter, though none of us knew it at the time of the first restoration. Willow "Wheely" Engberg. True explorer that girl.
Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself.
In January of 2002, the DRC began a "Closed Open Registration". They opened their doors to those who registered and only a select few got in. But it was a first step. An important step.
Dr. Watson said it best.
"Fellow Citizens of D'ni,
"I realize that that salutation may sound a bit presumptuous, but this epic moment allows for some extravagance and anticipation on my part. For we find ourselves at one of those rare junctures in human history. We stand on the edge of a precipice of discovery and enlightenment, and now we take the first step off the edge.
"Welcome to D'ni.
"For the first time I can say those words. Up until now, visitors have been limited to those who are academically adept enough to contribute, or those who are connected enough to be invited. But soon that will change. Soon anyone who hears the call will be welcomed. Of course, at first their access will be limited, and their numbers will be controlled; but the door is opening. D'ni is beginning to wake from its long hibernation.
"What I'm trying to say is that your work here has been more than simply an archeological exercise.
"We firmly believe that this place was meant to be inhabited; it was meant to be growing; it was meant to be alive. We are here because we've all felt that same feeling, that same calling. Even now many more are beginning to feel that calling as well. They will come, and D'ni will live once more."
And so I end this prologue of Prologue with a raise of my glass as I finish up Dr. Watson's quote:
"To D'ni!"
I think it sums up everything nicely, does it not?
Now, with such an opening, you'd think that the following tale would be exciting, full of mystery and intrigue, but, of course, as all stories go, the beginning is ever so dull.
The DRC continued to welcome explorers from the surface, giving them limited access to a Neighborhood or two and the rare Age. At first, though, things were slow, as I said.
We're all familiar with the KI and how it always seems to be breaking down on us. Well, back then, it was a lot worse. They were barely functional, many were glitchy, many had broken cameras. They barely worked! But how they were cherished. Even when the DRC came out with a new model, explorers kept their old ones, grinning quietly at the memories.
Back then, things were weird. Imagers displayed D'ni, KIs often had English overlaying the main text, even the Ayoheek table was much worse off than it is now, and that is saying something.
The good old days were often anything but good.
Still, things were happy back then. Nobody was displeased with how the DRC ran things.
It would take the better part of a year, but progress would continue.
On the fifteenth of February, of a year I forgot to write down, I'm guessing 2002, Douglas Sharper came into the public eye with his request to restore Teledahn. Although he was not a DRC Member by a long shot, they accepted his request and allowed him to restore the Age.
December 6th, 2002, was when we would get our first taste of adventure. Some would say that this is where our story truly began.
Phil Henderson was a Restoration Engineer. I'm sure some of you have seen a man in a funny blue hat wandering the city on some days. Same job. ResEng. Phil just didn't wear the hat.
Phil Henderson, or "phend" as his KI labeled him, was surveying the garden age of Eder Kemo on a Friday when he vanished. Everyone assumed he just went home early for the weekend. Come Monday, however, Marie Sutherland was looking for him, saying that he hadn't shown up for work.
Twenty-four hour searches were called for, but nothing could be found. Just when the DRC was about to call off the hunt, Victor Laxman found a signal emanating from Eder Kemo.
It was Phil's KI, but when someone went to look for him, the signal stopped.
Search teams once more began hunting the age of Eder Kemo. After that weekend, however, the searches were called off.
And then Phil's KI appeared twice. The first time briefly, the second time for roughly half an hour.
While at first people assumed no one had gotten to Eder Kemo in time, it turned out that an explorer had, and that he had talked to Phil.
From there, restorations continued on as scheduled. Things returned to their quiet state.
Sometime in 2003, however, things changed. A game corporation called UbiSoft began funding the restoration for reasons I don't think anyone could understand. But this was a push, and with UbiSoft's funding, the DRC was able to move forward with the Restoration and make it safe to allow more explorers in.
D'ni was officially open to the public.
This, in the eyes of many today, is the "official" start of what we now call the "Prologue Era". Nobody had to sign any NDAs, information of the goings on in the cavern was free to pass along, and explorers explored.
Even though Ae'gura was on the Nexus, and access was given through it, the DRC had yet to officially open Ae'gura. Some explorers sneaked in and went to the Kahlo Pub.
Memorable site, that bar. Memorable site.
The DRC found out, but they were only concerned for the explorers' safety. Nothing of note happened from that incident and the city was soon opened.
Good old Sharper, on the other hand, didn't like the way things were playing.
"Yeah that's them. Concerned and official." he said.
"Anyone would think they owned this place!" an explorer remarked.
"Well." Sharper replied. "They think they do."
He was openly suggesting ignoring the DRC's rules. But, despite his dislike, he said they'd given him a pub to restore. Not the Kahlo Pub, no, but one somewhere in J'Taeri.
It was called the Great Tree Pub, but nowadays, it's called Watcher's Sanctuary or Watcher's Pub. You may know of it, may have even visited it. That tree was a wonder. It still is.
But can one even say that the pub is Sharper's any more? Of course not. For reasons I'll explain later, Sharper would lose the pub.
A few of us did manage to see it in the intervening years. Its walls were yellow, the banners were different, and the imager even worked. Sharper even had a few vases lying around.
You won't see any of that now. Now the Great Tree Pub has blue walls and a locked door.
Maybe they changed it because of painful memories.
Still, the Great Tree Pub is a place of history and memories always will be there, even if buried.
The same day Sharper expressed his dislike of the DRC, an explorer named Zardoz was in Eder Kemo. Phil Henderson was back and somehow he had gotten trapped behind the Journey Door.
Zardoz opened the door, and Phil, probably for the first time in a year, saw daylight. To this day I can safely say that we have no clue what is up with Phil. Some say he ate the mushrooms in Teledahn, some say he hit his head while dancing with the Bahro.
Me? I think he's just crazy. In a strange, sane kind of way.
Despite Phil's return, he soon left again by going back into the door. Days later, he returned yet again. And again an explorer released him. And again he left through the door, leaving a message for the DRC this time.
Days later, he finally came out. An explorer by the name of MrM3FaN coordinated efforts with Victor Laxman and managed to get Phil to the City.
<font style=n size=10><p align=left>As you may or may not remember, the tales of the Prologue era are tales that often do not wish to be told. Tonight, we will see why this is.
I have told of the time when things were simple, when the DRC restored on a timely basis and released new areas as they deemed safe. However, once the gaming corporation UbiSoft got its funds thrown into the mix, things began to become unstable. Explorers who weren't authorized began drifting down, feeling called to something they didn't understand. But things were changing here in the cavern.
During the month of December, 2003, one member of the DRC's elite restoration staff, Phil "phend" Henderson, had gone "rogue" as it were. Many these days would simply call him a hippie or claim that he had eaten one too many 'shrooms from Teledahn. But looking back, he seemed to be onto something. Something we still don't quite understand.
Discussion in the cavern varied during this time from mysterious Bahro stones leading to abandoned docks with Relto pages on them to the "temporary" bridge that had been put up over the break in the City.
Phil said it was, he said it would give you something, that it would allow you to feel things. Things like the island where the Relto page first appeared.
A few days later, Phil continued his escapades. He claimed that we were all on a journey, and where we ended up was a part of that journey. Above all, though it seemed at this point that people's journeys were causing fractures, divisions, and sides.
Sharper himself was growing increasingly anti-DRC. Michael Engberg was more hopeful about it all, although it worried him to see these sides being made and taken.
An explorer, Tweek, said this on the matter: "The sides choosing thing is annoying me... people are being sneaky trying to get others in trouble... and being rude and impatient."
"Exactly, I think if we agree that we can disagree, life will go a lot easier." Engberg said. "I know people are not always going to agree with the DRC, but if you get to know us, and understand us better, I think you will see that we are all not bad."
Of course, things wouldn't go that way. Perhaps, had Phil not done what he would soon do... Perhaps, had Phil not been as elusive and mysterious... Perhaps, just maybe, if the DRC wouldn't have reacted as they did... Things might have gone differently.
You'd think that this would be an issue, but look at it this way: The DRC was restoring D'ni. What do you think would happen if the world's governments got ahold of this place? We certainly wouldn't be able to visit it. In fact, anyone caught down here would most likely be arrested for treason. Or something like that. Without the OSHA down here, we are more free than we are on the surface.
Marie touched briefly on the funding as conversation flowed and mentioned that she was working on the Great Zero and Gahreesen, but the main point that seemed to get lost was this: "It's been a fairly expensive operation."
Phil and Sharper returned, and Sharper, believe it or not, seemed to be the very definition of a changed man. He had a Relto book and he had Yeesha's Journey shirt.
"All of it." Sharper replied. "The book. The age. The Stones. The Cloths." He summarized with this: "The DRC's Linking books are child's play." Sharper began encouraging people to wear Yeesha's shirt after this.
Eventually, it ended up with Sharper Reltoing off of the bridge and Laxman stealing Phil's Relto book, forcing Phil through it, and then he and Watson going in after him.
Soon enough, Sharper was on a rampage. He and several other explorers tore down the barriers in front of the Kahlo Pub. Shortly thereafter, Sharper invited explorers to his own Neighborhood, where he had cracked open the Egg Room door, proving once and for all that the chamber was safe. It could reliably be used to block KI chatter and was essentially the only place KI chatter could be used without fear of spying.
When the DRC relented and allowed an explorer by the name of Tink to visit Phil in Kirel, which at the time was their private neighborhood, they were holding Phil inside the Egg Room there.
All in all, though, things began to ease up for the explorers, but not for Sharper. After a few days of touring the Egg Room, Sharper appeared in the Uru Obsession Hood to tell explorers that the DRC had taken away the Great Tree Pub and his neighborhood, even saying that his KI had been "damaged" and could no longer even make a new Hood.
On December 26th, 2003, Phil, having been released by the DRC, was back on the Guild Hall again. The DRC however, was all over it. They were in the City, pleading for him to come down.
The DRC rushed into action, but Phil was gone. The only thing the DRC ever found was his KI, smashed in the rubble. Everyone assumed he was dead, and rightly so. After all, the whole structure had collapsed.
More months passed. The Great Zero was restarted many times, but it was not enough. Some of us found our way to the Great Tree Pub, so vastly different now and labeled "Watcher's".
When we came to the cavern in 2006, we were not the first. There had been one attempt at a Restoration of D'ni before. The D'ni Restoration Council, or DRC, had originally consisted of five scholars: Richard Watson, Ikuro Kodama, Michael Engberg, Victor Laxman, and Marie Sutherland. Their first attempt at restoring the cavern had ended in failure, due mainly to a lack of funds, but also to unforeseen events.
The most important of these events was the arrival of Yeesha, the daughter of Atrus. Her mystical abilities to affect and alter the Ages wreaked havoc amongst the order-loving DRC, with whom she disagreed on many fundamental ideas.
The Journey she sent explorers on to free the enslaved Bahro resulted in explorer being pitted against explorer, and even many of the DRC's employees--important people like Douglas Sharper and Phil Henderson--were converted to Yeesha's cause.
The result of all this disunity was that the First Restoration failed and the DRC returned to the surface in defeat--all except their leader, Dr. Watson, who remained behind and, disillusioned and disappointed, embarked on his own spiritual journey. The last evidence of his activity was a journal he left in the shaft leading to D'ni from the surface. You can still read it in the place now called Descent.
Our story truly begins during a time when there was no "official" activity in the cavern. I say, "official," because many continued to hear Yeesha's Call and arrived surreptitiously to take her Journey on their own, each to free one of the Bahro from slavery.
Eventually, those who were still coming to the cavern found each other, and the four remaining members of the DRC returned as well. They had no money, so for a while there was no Restoration. Explorers contented themselves with visiting areas already opened, and with speculating on unresolved mysteries. The most popular questions revolved around the whereabouts of Yeesha and Dr. Watson, who both seemed to have vanished.
You see, our story begins with a scream. A scream so loud and so powerful that it was heard in every Age, heard all over the cavern, heard everywhere there were ears to hear it.
When that happened, every explorer with a Relto Book was immediately linked to their home Relto. The Scream also linked to the cavern several others without Reltos from the surface.
We found to our dismay that all of our Books had disappeared off our shelves. And when we sought the Books out again, the Ages were as if they had never been touched by us. The Journey, in effect, had been "reset" and even our Yeesha Shirts were gone.
Also, the Scream caused severe structural impact to D'ni. Worried that the cavern might have become unstable, the DRC quickly quarantined off the dangerous areas, restricting us to only a small part of Ae'gura and the Neighborhoods.
Shortly after the Scream, the DRC announced that they had obtained new sources of funding and would work to restore the damage done. They also intended to expand. It was a new Restoration. New explorers who had never seen D'ni began to flock to our banner. For a while, it was a time of nervous anticipation.
Over time, explorers began to grow impatient with the slow rate that the cavern was being restored. Some blamed Cate Alexander, the woman in charge of the DRC's new funding. Because she controlled the money, she had a position of power over the DRC that many explorers and even some DRC employees resented. Others blamed the DRC themselves--especially Michael Engberg, who was advocating a cautious approach. But for the most part, explorers fell to bickering amongst themselves out of boredom.
The chief topic of our arguments during those days was the Bahro. You see, the computer game company Cyan Worlds had just released the final Myst game, and in it, the Bahro were depicted as being freed from their slavery. Many of us believed that the Journey was now symbolic only, that the Bahro were free. But if so, we were at a loss to explain why we never saw any.
You must understand, we knew so little of what was really going on. Try to picture the cavern as we saw it then. No Jalak, no Minkata. No Garden Ages, no Pods. No Custom Marker Missions, even.
If you want an example of how divided we'd become, just look at old Internet posts about what would later be known as the "Liaison Fiasco". The DRC asked explorers to appoint five special delegates to act as go-betweens. The resulting jealousy, indecisiveness, and cries of elitism led to the first-ever Liaison group resigning in dismay, never to be replaced.
The DRC hoped to allay explorer discontent by releasing something totally new. They gave us the Age of Eder Delin, which had never been available to the general public. But something happened that the DRC did not anticipate.
You might know about the Cloths and the Door in Delin. And in knowing about their existence, you know more than the DRC did when they released Delin--because until the day the Books were placed in the Neighborhoods, the Cloths and the Door were not there.
You see, this puzzle, unlike any that came before, required teamwork and unity to be solved. To get that Door open, explorers had to set aside their differences and work together. Undoubtedly it was a lesson for us about the importance of unity. We would need to stand together and stop fighting if we were to survive the coming threat.
Nick was an employee of the DRC, but unlike his bosses, he was extremely open and forthcoming with the explorers. As a result, he was very popular among all of us. Nick used to pop in and visit us in our Neighborhoods, and on one of these visits he told us about the DRC's plans for future Age releases. By that time, we had Eder Tsogal as well, and the same mysterious Cloths had appeared there, too.
Nick told us that all was not right in the next Age that the DRC would release. That Age, called Negilahn, had once been home to a vast and varied kingdom of wildlife. The D'ni had constructed observation pods there to study these creatures, and it was one of these pods that would be released to the public.
In spite of explorer fears and words of caution from Engberg and others, Cate Alexander was pushing for the fast release of new Ages and areas. So it was only two weeks before the next Age was released--another Pod, this one called Dereno.
Michael Engberg's daughter visited the cavern back then. Her name was Willow, but we all called her Wheely. She was just a teenager. The day after Dereno came out, Wheely showed up in the cavern. We'd seen her plenty of times before--she was very popular among the explorers, who took her in as a kind of pseudo family member.
The decline of the Negilahn animal population had become a serious concern for the DRC, and it was decided that a small expedition would venture outside the Pod to try to solve this mystery.
The expedition consisted of only three people. One was the popular and charismatic Nick White. The second was Douglas Sharper, who had recently returned to D'ni from the surface.
Sharper had worked for the DRC before, during the First Restoration, but his cannonball personality and affinity for Yeesha had gotten him into trouble with the DRC, and he had not been restored to his former position as head of the Teledahn division. But he was a skilled hunter and wilderness explorer, so the DRC asked him to head the expedition.
The third member of the party was one of our own, an explorer who went by the name of Rils. He had become well-known by founding a small society for the study of the Pod animals.
They hadn't been gone long when they came across a violently massacred carcass. The sight and stench were so foul that all three hurriedly linked back. Both Nick and Rils were deeply affected. Nick was quite sick afterwards and Rils was traumatized.
Sharper, who had more experience with this sort of thing, told us he was absolutely positive that what was killing the creatures was a predator, and that it was a new predator, introduced very recently into the environment. Moreover, he stated he was positive that the creature was extremely dangerous, and that it had wantonly slaughtered even the huge, frightening predators native to Negilahn.
Needless to say, the news of a demented killer running around the Age frightened many of us. And the DRC had some angry words with Sharper over his willingness to share his information with the public.
In spite of the danger, the DRC went ahead with the planned release of two more Pods. I say, "in spite of the danger," because we soon learned that the Pods were not separate Ages as we'd believed, but were all part of the same Age, which explorers have named Reziksehv, or "The Pod Age" in D'ni. That meant that when we visited a Pod--any Pod--we were in danger of being noticed by the predator.
Added to the tension was the knowledge that some sort of dangerous beast was prowling around the newest Age, and that the DRC seemed heedless of the danger.
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>Feelings had become tense in the cavern by the time the week known as "Scars Week" occurred. The DRC had opened all of Ae'gura and the Neighborhoods, and released Eder Delin, Eder Tsogal, and the four pods of Reziksehv to explorers. We had recently been warned that a dangerous and violent predator was stalking the wildlife near Negilahn, but we didn't know what kind of creature it was, or even what it looked like.
The week began normally. Victor Laxman, one of the four remaining DRC members, was making the rounds from Neighborhood to Neighborhood. He was talking with explorers about the next Age the DRC planned to release, which he said was almost ready.
Suddenly, while talking with explorers, he received a message on his KI. After reading it, he excused himself, saying that there had been some seismic activity in Ae'gura and that he needed to check it out.
We didn't think it could be anything important. After all, the Great Scream had destabilized everything months before.
We forgot about Laxman and spent our time gossiping about Nick White, who'd just been fired from the DRC. I won't go into too many details about why he'd been fired, other than to say that... well, that Nick was something of a ladies' man. And I mean ladies in the plural.
At any rate, he was still here, but as one of us, not as a DRC employee. And we were all very concerned for him when he told us that he and Sharper were planning another expedition to Negilahn.
Sharper, Nick said, planned to hunt the predator.
Later that day, a KI-mail was sent out to all of us informing us that the "seismic activity" Laxman had referred to had resulted in a large crack appearing in the Kahlo Pub of Ae'gura. As you can imagine, this immediately attracted explorers to that area of the cavern. Explorers reported that the Bahro were screaming more loudly and more frequently than before in Ae'gura, but that didn't stop people from checking it out.
The next day, explorers were still crowded around the crack when Wheely Engberg showed up in Ae'gura, with a friend. Rosette, Wheely's friend, was visiting D'ni for the first time and Wheely wanted to show her around. They had already visited some of the Neighborhoods, collecting Markers.
The second scar was a false scar, a scar imagined to distract others from the real threat.
Wheely noticed the crack and wanted to explore that area, but explorers prevented her. Her father had been by recently to ask people to stay out of the area, and while the explorers were heedless of this advice for themselves, no one wanted Engberg's daughter endangered.
Unfortunately, Wheely was too curious for her own good. She and Rosette announced over the KI that they had found a second crack at the library. When explorers rushed to that location, not only was there no such crack, but Wheely and Rosette had disappeared. Even their KIs were offline.
And while some saw this as merely a teenage prank, there were others who worried about the sudden disappearances.
As it turned out, Wheely probably saved several of our lives that day.
When Laxman visited us again in a Neighborhood, explorers were less interested in the activation of the KI-light machine that he was announcing than they were in the whereabouts of Wheely and Rosette.
A good friend of mine and I were the first to speak up, asking Laxman if he knew what had happened to Wheely. Laxman shrugged it off and said he was sure she was fine--although we knew her, and didn't think this was typical of her nature. As it turned out, we were right.
I urged Laxman to at least mention the matter to Engberg, and shortly afterwards, both were seen linking into Ae'gura. They immediately went across the city, calling Wheely's name. Explorers realized something was wrong, and joined in the search.
That was one of the most frantic days of my life. We all became a bit hysterical.
I remember screaming at Laxman to open up the barricaded part of the library, thinking that perhaps Wheely could have gone down there before disappearing. As I look back I can see I was being irrational, but then, we all were.
You see, we weren't the only ones in the city that day.
As we searched, we saw several Bahro--saw them, not just heard them--standing on rooftops, screaming, linking in and out. It was rather terrifying.
At last, we were ordered out of Ae'gura, and some of us had to be physically forced to go.
It was announced some time later that Laxman had been able to locate Wheely's KI signal and turn her KI on remotely. It was coming from beneath the Kahlo Pub crack.
We all knew Wheely was somewhere below the Pub, but the DRC erected barriers to keep us out.
On the third day, Wheely finally managed to contact the DRC from her KI. As it turned out, she and Rosette had invented the library crack to get explorers to leave the Pub, so that they could come see the crack.
She and Rosette had gone to the Pub while explorers were distracted. At precisely that moment, as fate or Yahvo would have it, there had been a cave-in. Wheely and Rosette fell down into the chambers beneath the Pub.
Wheely told us, via the KI, that Rosette was dead and she herself was injured. Worse yet, her Relto Book seemed to have stopped functioning. She was trapped, alone with a corpse, tired, injured, and afraid.
Fortunately, the DRC had already pinpointed her location and was working to dig through the rubble to get her out.
I shall never forget, as long as I live, the tender encouragements of a father to his daughter.
Wheely lapsed in and out of consciousness throughout that day. At first she tried to tell us a little about the room she was in--there were strange symbols that looked similar to the Bahroglyphs. But more importantly, Wheely announced to us that she had suddenly become aware that she was not alone. A Bahro was in the chamber with her, watching her.
It was the closest any of us had ever been to a Bahro, but most of us believed that at the very least, the creature would not have any reason to harm her. Even Wheely's father said he was certain the Bahro only wanted to help.
And at first, it seemed to.
Wheely grew terribly thirsty, but awoke with her thirst abated as if by magic, and during that time, her KI registered her as being in various other Ages. We all assumed the Bahro was helping her--but if so, why did it return her to the chamber?
By this time, Nick White had returned from his trip with Sharper. They had not caught the predator, but Nick had heard the news of Wheely and had returned to help.
Sharper, he said, was still hiding in a hunter's blind in Negilahn, waiting for the predator to go after the bait he had set. And then it did, and Sharper was in pursuit. From then on, it was radio silence for him.
Meanwhile, the DRC had managed to dig through the ground to the floor of a building, but they still had one more floor to go. There was something odd about that building--something that's never been explained.
According to Nick White, he and Sharper had seen an odd symbol outside the Pod in Negilahn--the symbol of a crooked line, with circles on either side. That same symbol, according to Nick, was in the building the DRC had reached.
As the day progressed, the DRC kept digging and the explorers kept encouraging. All across Ae'gura and the Neighborhoods, explorers were sending messages of hope, and after the abatement of Wheely's thirst, we were all so grateful that she at least had a Bahro for company.
When the DRC was mere minutes away, Wheely reported that the Bahro that was with her became agitated. She said that it had begun scrambling about the ceiling and floors, making angry sounds.
Wheely said that she was frightened, and that the Bahro kept repeating the word "Noloben". Noloben--which, if we are to believe Cyan, was the Age where many Bahro were tortured by a depraved D'ni man.
Then Wheely screamed and was silent.
The DRC reached her--what was left of her. The Bahro was gone. The symbols were gone.
Wheely's body was still there.
According to reports from Sutherland and Sharper, it was mangled, defiled, torn to pieces. And unfortunately, one of the first to see it was Michael Engberg himself.
You must understand that we had been very foolish in how we'd viewed the Bahro. Nearly everyone was divided into two camps--one that believed that the Bahro had killed her, and one that believed it was innocent and had tried to help.
I don't think it occurred to anyone until after the fact that there could have been more than one Bahro in that room with her, at different times.
The third scar was an emotional one--the scar we all felt for Wheely, and for Michael, after her death.
The next day, all across the cavern, explorers wore black in mourning. And though it was a sea of sorrow, it was also a sea of unity.
There was still a great deal of debate. The question on most people's minds was: had the Bahro killed Wheely? And the second was: if so, then why?
We got our answer when Sharper returned.
Our sorrow for Wheely had mostly driven our concern for Sharper from our minds, but we were relieved to see him home safe and sound. He brought ill tidings, however.
Sharper had followed the Negilahn predator, only to discover that it was laying a trap for him. That predator, he told us--that brutal, violent, evil creature--was a Bahro. And not just one Bahro, but many.
Sharper spoke of a legion of the creatures, gazing at him with evil eyes and preparing to destroy him. But before they could, he was rescued--by another Bahro.
And then he learned what very few of us had suspected--the Bahro were at war. Civil war. It seemed that after their freedom from enslavement, they had divided into at least two factions, and one of these was malevolent.
Undoubtedly the Bahro that slew Wheely was one of these. Was it the same Bahro that had quenched her thirst and helped her?
Most people think that the Bahro was toying with Wheely, keeping her alive to observe her, as Esher did with the Bahro on Noloben.
But I myself hold to the belief that there were two Bahro in that chamber--the one that helped her, and the one that came later and killed her. I suppose it's all academic now.
Michael Engberg sat in the Kahlo Pub for most of that day. The DRC reopened it and asked that we respect his grieving process, which as it turned out, involved sitting and staring, stone-faced, at the place where Wheely was buried.
But later that evening, he finally moved. He began wandering from Neighborhood to Neighborhood, muttering to himself and ignoring explorers.
Then Engberg suddenly cried out, "Dr. Watson!" and immediately linked to the Nexus.
Shortly thereafter, his KI was noted in the Descent--the last known location of Dr. Watson. Then it went dark.
Sutherland and Kodama, both DRC, came looking for him later, and we soon learned that he had vanished, perhaps for good. And we couldn't really blame him.
Not knowing what else to do, the DRC went ahead with the scheduled release of their next Age, Minkata, which means "Heavily Scarred".
And this was the fourth scar, the physical pockmarks of an Age whose name means "Scarred" in D'ni.
We linked to Minkata with heavy hearts, and discovered something that roused our curiosity.
Upon the stone in the center of the Minkata desert is a symbol--a symbol we'd heard about, but never seen. The symbol from near Negilahn and from Wheely's death chamber--the symbol of a crooked line, with circles at either side.
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>We had learned, during "Scars Week" the month before, that the Reziksehv predator was, in fact, a large group of Bahro. One of them appeared to have been responsible for the death of Wheely Engberg, which had resulted in her father leaving the DRC and disappearing.
Explorers were nervous, but fortunately there had been no more incidents of Bahro attacks--that we know of, anyway. On the first day of the week, the DRC happily made two announcements.
The first announcement was that Laxman had managed to restore certain functionality to the KI. In addition to collecting Markers for the Great Zero, which we had already been able to do, explorers would now be able to create their own Marker Missions, if they had progressed far enough in the Great Zero missions.
The second announcement was that the next day, Laxman would fully activate the Great Zero. This would mean it would be fully calibrated and functional as it had been in the time of the D'ni.
This area was originally known as the Watcher's Sanctuary, and had been a part of Yeesha's Path of the Shell, before the Great Scream altered everything. So for some of us, this area was not new--although some changes had been made. Among other things, the door on the top level was locked, and still is. Also, the translations of the Watcher's Prophecies were placed here. These had played a significant role in the old Path of the Shell as well. They contain prophecies of the future, dealing with the coming of the Grower--a person whom we now believe to be Yeesha.
Kodama spoke briefly with explorers and confirmed that the DRC believed the Bahro to be responsible for Wheely's death, and presented his own opinion that even the fateful cave-in had been caused by them--which would make them, in essence, Rosette's killers as well.
Laxman told us, among other things, that the DRC had visited Noloben, the Age referred to by the murderous Bahro. The DRC, at one point, had discovered a D'ni survivor on Noloben, whose description fit with Myst V's villain, Esher. According to the DRC, though, he was no longer there at the time of these events.
Probably the most important visit that week was Cate Alexander's. She came to the Watcher's Sanctuary and announced that Engberg was still missing, and had not been seen since his disappearance. As a result, the DRC was going to act under the assumption that he would not be returning soon, and was replacing Engberg with Cate herself.
Needless to say, many saw this as a conflict of interest, since Cate was the main financer for the Restoration. Personally, I don't see that it made much difference--by that time she was pretty much running the show anyway.
Marie Sutherland felt rather strongly about it, though, and on the third day the two aired their dirty laundry in front of a large group of explorers. It was rather unprofessional, actually, them arguing over Cate's position, and over the possibility of advertising in the cavern. Thankfully, they eventually moved their discussion to a more private place.
At any rate, Sharper insisted that the Bahro needed to learn that they could not slaughter humans without consequence. But as I said, most people feared this would incite a deeper conflict between us and the Bahro.
The fourth day, we were given something else to think about. The Book stands in Watcher's Sanctuary were empty when the DRC released the area. But on the fourth day, Cate placed the Er'cana Book on the pedestal.
Many of us had actually been there before, as Yeesha had once included it in her Path of the Shell. We found, however, that some changes had been made.
There used to be a carving of a star fissure, for example. The ovens had now been better calibrated to cook pellets for lighting the D'ni lake. And there were far more Shell Cloths than before--such that completing Er'cana now felt much like it feels to complete the original Yeesha Journey.
Sutherland had ensured that not only would Wheely's name be on it, but so would the names of other explorers who had been part of our community and who had died. And there's one name in particular I want to point out, because it will become important later.
On that memorial is the name Phil "phend" Henderson. Phil had been one of the DRC's employees during the First Restoration. He had taken Yeesha's Journey and seemed to have somehow become somewhat unhinged mentally.
At one point, Sharper had stolen Phil's Relto Book in order to spy on the DRC. The unfortunate result of this was that when a wall collapsed on top of Phil, he had no way to escape.
No body was found, though, just the smashed KI. But though Phil's body was never retrieved, it was obvious that no one could have survived the collapse.
Marie and Cate located Reteltee and invited him to meet with them privately to discuss how the D'ni Guild structure could be implemented among explorers.
Many of you are familiar with the modern-day Guilds of Writers, Greeters, Messengers, Maintainers and Cartographers. It was in a large part due to the DRC putting their heads together with Reteltee--who was later appointed their official Guild representative--that those Guilds exist today.
Laxman came to the city docks, where he set up a strange device that acted as a kind of lake light meter. Don't bother looking for this device today--it was later removed due to malfunctions.
This time, explorers were more urgent and aggressive in their protests against his plans. Nevertheless, Sharper was insistent that he would go to Noloben. He would study the Bahro, get to know their ways, and when he could be certain which faction was responsible for Wheely's death, he would return. With a Bahro head.
The truth is, that week was more about new areas and activities than it was about anything exciting happening or any mysteries being solved.]]></translation>
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>The week was known as "Familiar Voices". There's a reason it's called that, and I'll show why in a bit, but let's just say that it started out around lunch time.
You might remember that in "A New Light" a dock lake meter was mentioned. That dock meter, also known as Bob the Dalek to some explorers, was malfunctioning all the way through its one-month span of use. On the first day of "Familiar Voices", Victor Laxman came to Ae'gura to remove the dock meter. It was a sad moment, but one many understood for technical reasons.
He had some news. He'd gotten a girlfriend on the surface (good for him, thought some explorers), and Sharper had returned from Noloben and had been acting strange ever since.
Questions immediately flew. Would we be targeted by the Bahro in retaliation? Were they impartial? These questions would be answered in due time, and some would even be answered the next month.
Eventually, someone must have found him and relayed the message, as he showed up in Watcher's Sanctuary later in the day. He made a few offhand comments about how he'd studied the Bahro and verified that there were at least two sides.
One of those comments was along the lines of, "It's not like they have red and blue eyes." But regardless, Sharper insisted that he'd killed a bad Bahro. People panicked, "We're doomed! Oh no! They're going to kill us all!"
Before people went to bed that night, Laxman visited a Neighborhood somewhere. He announced that he had rigged the imagers to display people's pellet scores for a bit of friendly competition between Neighborhoods.
Now, due to Sharper's "red eye blue eye" comment, some people had gotten it stuck in their heads that the two sides were identified by red and blue eyes.
While we didn't find it out immediately, this was the course of events: Sharper had lined up his sights on a bad Bahro and fired, but this Bahro, a good one, had jumped into the line of fire.
Now, you've got to understand, despite this shock, this was one of the few times anyone would ever get that close to a Bahro. Sure, we've all seen them in pictures, and occasionally on the volcano in the Cleft, but these two Bahro were right on the imager.
They were right in front of those lucky explorers. Someone tried to touch one, and it let out a warning scream and looked directly at him. The Bahro left Watcher's Sanctuary, body and all, a few minutes later.
Cate Alexander and Dr. Kodama were in Kirel when explorers first linked in, announcing that this was their first step in reviving the Guilds. Explorers could make their support known by choosing a Guild shirt.
In Kirel a mischievous little Bahro decided to play a game of tag. The little guy appeared somewhere, and disappeared again, only to reappear somewhere else. We were all searching wildly to find the guy, and in the course of the chaos, I got shoved into a corner.
Guess what kept me from breaking my nose against the rock? Yes, that little Bahro was right there. I backed off immediately, as soon as I realized that I was staring right into its eyes. But I was amazed. I'd run right into a Bahro. Sheer, impossible luck.
In any case, it resumed linking around causing chaos. It was fun, to say the least. Regardless, the Bahro had us running like rats in a maze. It was playing with us. Probably only a kid, just playing around with whomever it could find.
Once we all organized ourselves, managed to form a semicircle, and got everyone sitting, it must have gotten bored, because it left not long after that.
Sharper had announced that he was returning to Noloben. Marie came by Kirel again. Even a new Relto page was found. But there was nothing, really, like the thrill of meeting a Bahro.
In any case, the day was topped off by the June sparkly vanishing from existence. It couldn't be found anywhere. The sparklies back then were monthly, unlike today where they're all on at once.
Unlike the other ages, Jalak was devoid of any rewards other than the sparkly. People were confused. Where was the puzzle? Well, despite all that, we still managed to find some fun in Jalak.
You see, in 2004, Phil "phend" Henderson was in a collapse and a wall fell on him. Everyone thought he was dead, which was why he was on the memorial imager.
He had been saved by a Bahro when the wall collapsed, and had spent his time with them. Unfortunately, his mental state was a bit worse compared to before. Any questions directed at him were replied to with riddles.
When asked about the Bahro, he said, "Here too?" He told us they were everywhere, free to do whatever they wanted. And the skies in some Ages, even Releeshan, the new D'ni home Age, were blackened by their wings.
It was now that Sharper let out his conscience, first apologizing for taking Phil's Relto book, and then asking about the Bahro, and why one had killed Wheely.
"This is only the beginning," Phil said. A war had been started when the Bahro had been freed, and it was escalating. "I was afraid of that," Sharper said it best for all of us. He then mentioned the Bahro that had jumped in front of his gun. Phil replied, "They protected us all from you making a mistake." The side with which Sharper had almost ignited a war had chosen evil. And Sharper confessed that the reason he wasn't going to Noloben was that he was concerned that the Bahro were coming here. To D'ni.
Phil gave some warnings about preparing, and one very, very cryptic message: "He is coming. HE will return." Who was "He"? Did we do this by moving the Journey pillars? And would the Bahro kill us all?
This was a warning, a capstone of the weird and bizarre. A storm, titan in mass, was coming. Death and destruction were coming via the hands of the darkened, twisted side of the Bahro.
Who was "He"? The Great King who was sealed in his tomb? The very one that Phil had mentioned before his "death"? Or was it the strange D'ni man from Noloben that Cyan Worlds had based Esher off of for the Myst V game?
Strangely, though, due to that strange dream, many of us knew that Yeesha herself would come as well. It was a comfort to some, but until she and he and they arrived, we would never know.]]></translation>
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>To briefly recap, Sharper had killed a Bahro in retaliation for Wheely's death, but by accident had shot a good Bahro. Phil Henderson, who was NOT dead after all, returned to the cavern to explain that the Bahro Sharper shot had willingly sacrificed itself to protect us from its hostile brethren. And for the first time, Bahro had interacted personally with explorers at close range.
A month had now passed since Phil's return, and we had seen neither him nor any more Bahro. We were all a bit nervous about the Bahro Civil War, and the events of this week did nothing to assuage our fear.
The week began with what I think of as the March of Colors, but which was really just Phil Henderson acting really, really weird. He showed up in one of the Neighborhoods, at the walkway above the garden, talking about colors and how important they were. Talking about how pretty colors are and how useful. And mostly worrying about whether or not "He" would like the colors. Phil was still talking about this mysterious "Him", who he claimed was coming to the cavern very soon.
The March of Colors ended in Kirel, and many of us later surmised that Phil was actually trying to tell us how important the Guilds are, since the Guilds are set apart by different colors.
Either that or he had just smoked too many Teledahn 'shrooms. Cate Alexander made an appearance that day as well, but all she really said was that she hoped the Guild Pubs would be released soon.
You see, the DRC had promised to release a private pub for each Guild, and Cate had hoped today would be the release day, but we didn't actually get to see them until the next day.
This time, when Cate came to announce the opening of the pubs, many explorers wanted to know about Phil and his mental state. However, Cate refused to answer questions about Phil. Or about the Bahro. She even went so far as to say she would not believe in any "Bahro War" until she saw it with her own eyes.
And of course, we saw more of Phil that day, talking about colors and "Him" once more. I think many of us had come to the conclusion that "He" was just a delusion of Phil's, but then Sharper set us straight.
Sharper came to the Watcher's Sanctuary to talk about the Bahro War. He said that the war would probably come to the cavern, and that the hostile side might very well destroy D'ni. He told us the good Bahro were losing the war. And finally, he said he knew who Phil meant by "Him."
Sharper had met "Him", he said, and he knew exactly who Phil referred to, but Sharper refused to tell us the mysterious person's identity. He just said that he hoped we would listen to "Him" when "He" showed up.
And then he told us that he was going to reopen an old area that might prove useful if the Bahro War came to the cavern. There was an old spy room that Sharper had used during the First Restoration to spy on the DRC. In it, he'd left Phil's stolen Relto Book.
Phil's Relto wasn't the only news that day. Remember Michael Engberg, the DRC member who'd lost his daughter to the hostile Bahro? While mourning Wheely, Engberg seemed to have gone crazy at the end of Scars Week, wandering around, then suddenly muttering Watson's name and running away.
Well, Phil wasn't the only person to make a dramatic return. On the same day that Phil's Relto was made available, Engberg came back. He appeared in Ae'gura, and explorers were overwhelmed with joy to see him. So was Marie Sutherland, the DRC member who came to meet him once she heard he was back.
They didn't talk long, and Engberg refused to speak about his experiences or where he'd gone. But that didn't stop the rumors that Engberg was the mysterious "He" that Phil kept talking about. Those rumors were wrong.
I don't know if anyone has heard from Engberg since that day. He keeps to himself mostly and doesn't involve himself in the cavern. But very, very late that night, someone else returned to the cavern--someone we had long awaited.
Watson showed up in the Concert Hall Foyer, and was soon mobbed by ecstatic explorers. He told us he was pretty sure who Phil meant by "Him"--Phil meant Watson.
Apparently the two had spent a lot of time together while they were away from the cavern--time with the Bahro. Watson said he was not as good at communicating with the Bahro as Phil was, but he confirmed the reports of a Bahro Civil War. A war which he said the good Bahro were losing.
After a brief visit from Sharper in the Watcher's Sanctuary, Watson showed up there as well. He told us what we had already guessed--that the Bahro were free. The events of Myst V were more or less true.
And he knew this, because it was he who had returned the Tablet to the Bahro and released them from their slavery. He said that he no longer believed in a physical restoration of D'ni.
The day after Phil and Watson made their simultaneous appearances, Watson came to one of the Neighborhoods and gave a speech. I won't repeat the entire speech as it would take too long, but I strongly recommend you read the record of it that can be found, among other places, on the Uru Obsession Forums [Editor's note: Uru Obsession is no longer online, but the speech chatlog can be viewed at the Myst Online forums].
Among other things, Watson spoke out in support of the Guilds. Many explorers had expressed concern over the Guilds' role in the fall of D'ni. But Watson said it was not the Guilds at fault, but pride. He encouraged explorers to join the Guilds. He also told us to beware of pride and disunity. We had begun to fracture again, and Watson counseled against this. He told us there were many of us who needed to learn to unite, and not to fight amongst ourselves.
He said that while he no longer believed the cavern should be inhabited, he still felt that there was much we could learn from it. But those lessons, he said, should be applied elsewhere in life. He warned us again about the Bahro, and told us that the hostile ones showed no rhyme or reason in their destruction. It was destruction for destruction's sake.
He went on to tell us that Yeesha had been fighting for us. She had already been to hundreds of Ages, searching for some way to end the Bahro conflict, or at least to protect us when the good Bahro became too weak to do so.
But, said Watson, it was looking more likely that she would not find what she sought in the Ages currently available. That was why the Guilds were so important--we needed new Ages to explore, new Ages to search for a solution to the Bahro problem.
Because the war was coming, the good side was losing, and if we didn't find some way to protect ourselves, we might be their next target.]]></translation>
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>The final week is called Exodus, which was named after the book in the Bible for reasons that will be explained later.
Surely, as you can surmise, this was a major shock, as Cate was the source of funding for the DRC. Her abrupt departure meant the loss of the funding. Nobody knew what to do.
The DRC tried to keep up appearances by announcing the release of Ahnonay later in the week, but even they were at a loss. Cate's reasons for leaving? "I'm not getting a return on my investment," or something like that.
Like all the other ages, there had been some changes caused by the Great Scream, and those had pushed back its official release. Structural issues and what not.
It was the final days of the Previous Restoration all over again, only this time it was slower. Not as quick and sudden as it had been before. No quick plug pull. Just a slow, steady drain.
A lot of us had memorized the puzzles in Ahnonay from the time before the second restoration started, before the Great Scream changed everything. Those of us who remembered breezed through the puzzles relatively easily.
This Tablet was the key to the Bahro's freedom. Dr. Watson was probably the first of all of us to find his way there. The Keep stood right where the link in spot is, at least according to Myst V.
Many of us assumed that the Bahro would avoid K'veer, should a conflict arise. And boy howdy, did conflict arise. There were Bahro swarming Kerath's Arch. When reports of Bahro in Ae'gura appeared, flooding in from the city, we were shocked and confused.
That wasn't the full impact of it, either. The Bahro weren't all on one side. They were from both sides, duking it out, fighting, killing, and screaming.
And, though this wasn't widely confirmed, a few of us saw a form standing on top of the Arch, right below the light. Make of it what you will, but there was something up there, moving.
You've heard the rumors, the tales, and the horrors that Esher in Myst V supposedly performed. Even that he had a Bahro skin over his shoulder, a cloth that allowed him to link.
Esher, the demented, evil man of Noloben, truly existed. And the Bahro that he had cut that piece of skin from was mad, twisted beyond all hope of returning to any sane thinking.
The DRC were at as much of a loss as we were, and Kodama used this as an excuse to leave. He went up to the surface, and secretly off to find more funding for the cavern.
To maintain a sense of normalcy, the DRC announced the winners of the Great Zero Stained Glass contest. Those three distinct designs now appear above the Great Zero book in the Neighborhoods.
Never before or since have I seen so many explorers wearing their Journey shirts. We all had those burlap cloth pieces on us, itchy as they were. We were showing our support for the Bahro, for Yeesha, and for good.
A Bahro appeared outside the window in K'veer. Right on the ledge, though there's nothing out there for it to stand on, not that we can see, at least. But there it was, just peering in.
The Bahro began teleporting. It was next spotted inside Atrus' prison chamber, and then it summoned the book stand in the middle of the room and placed the Myst Linking Book firmly upon it.
The Bahro had been freed by the tablet, and most of them had sided with good, with us, with Yeesha, and with the D'ni. And they were fighting for us. Sacrificing everything they had for us. For our "peace" and for our "comfort."
There was a side which had not sided with us, with the D'ni, or with "good." They had chosen evil, and they basked in the opportunity that came with their freedom.
"Revenge is their only excuse," Yeesha pointed to her left shoulder, and explained, "Their leader can be seen clearly. He is missing a large patch of skin" taken in the "torturous lab of Esher."
She had something they wanted. Some assumed the piece of skin that Esher had carved off of the leader of this evil side of the Bahro. Others, due to the sayings in the Watcher's Words, assumed that Yeesha was pregnant.
Regardless, she said we had to be ready for her return. Destruction was coming no matter what, and when it arrived we must have found our way. We MUST have found our home.
With that, she left. And almost instantly, so did the Bahro around Kerath's arch, all of them following her for various reasons. Some for her protection, others seeking what she carried.
That night we received a KI Mail from the DRC. Marie Sutherland and Victor Laxman had gone to the surface. They were joining Kodama in his search for new funding.
We learned through other sources that Cate was not the only investor to cease funding. GameTap, the other major investor, was pulling the plug as well. (Why a computer game company was funding the restoration at all, I'll never know...)
At any rate, we all remained in the cavern for a little while. But one by one we made our Exodus back to the surface, back to our jobs and schools and families. Back to our lives.
In February of 2010, for seemingly no reason at all, numbers in the cavern began to climb again. Now there are many who once again call this place home.
That's why it's so important that we continue to Write and explore new Ages. And that's why we need to work in the Guilds to prepare for the return of the Bahro.
Your coming here is not without purpose. No Great Uru just happens. There is always a reason. We are those who must prepare. So find a way. Make a home.
Greetings from the DRC. It seems I'm the first board member to post on the new message boards, so let me take this opportunity to welcome newcomers. I'll explain a bit about this message board, and myself.
In recent DRC meetings, we've reached the conclusion that it would be beneficial for us to discuss the D'ni restoration project in a more public forum. These message boards are our first attempt to do just that. Our discussions will be much more public, and you'll get a chance to see some of the challenges and issues that we all face in restoring D'ni.
My name is Victor. I've known about D'ni for almost seven years. Being an acquaintance of Dr Watson, I found out about D'ni from him and of course accepted his request to join in the restoration back in '97.
My areas of expertise are electrical and computer engineering. My primary responsibility has been in the area of D'ni technology, in particular, reverse engineering to: 1) make D'ni things work, 2) make D'ni things work better, 3) make D'ni things work with surface things.
Currently the KI consumes most of my time. It's truly an amazing system, with the actual KI acting as a simple terminal to a larger D'ni host. We got it working, we got it working in English, and now we're trying to see just how much it can do. Interesting work, but I often get distracted with things like simply supplying light to certain areas that are being restored.
Born on June 14th, 1958, Victor Laxman received multiple Engineering Degrees from the University of Cambridge before joining the Royal Navy from 1978 to 1990. Victor first learned of the restoration efforts from Dr. Watson in early 1995 before joining the DRC from 1997 to 2004. After Dr. Watson left the DRC in 2004 Victor Laxman became co-leader of the DRC until it disbanded due to a lack of funding. In December of 2005 he first approached the other DRC members about restarting the restoration efforts and joined the DRC once more in 2006.
Unlike the other DRC members, Victor doesn't oversee any particular phase but is instead in charge of all aspects of restoring D'ni technology. In particular, Victor is responsible for translating D'ni technology to English and making it work with human technology. He also led successfully a joint-effort with explorers to re-calibrate the Great Zero. He also oversees explorers' recent effort to re-establish the daily light cycle generated by the lake algae which was interrupted due to the Fall of D'ni. In early November he departed with his colleagues to the surface to look for other funding sources. (GoG bio)
Job Duties: Ensuring structural integrity of structures (natural and man-made) as well as detailed studies of rock formations. Oversee Phase Two approval of all new areas and structures..
Born on October 5th, 1957, Ikuro Kodama has a Bachelor of Arts in Mechanical Engineering Technology from New Mexico State University along with a Tech Doctorate in Geology from the University of Southern California. He was a friend of Dr. Richard Watson's from their time together in the teaching profession when he was invited to D'ni in 1994 before joining the DRC from 1997 to 2004. In 2004 he was also co-leader of the DRC after Dr. Watson left. Kodama returned to D'ni in 2006 when funding was secured and retook his position on the DRC as well as his old duty of overseeing Phases One and Two. His work was interrupted with the sudden resignation of Cate Alexander. He returned to the surface to look for funds to continue the Restoration. (GoG bio)
As Director of Field Work here in D'ni, I try to oversee all the expedition work as well as recovery and restoration of major work areas. Dr. Watson and I work together in resource allocation and priority. Unfortunately, we don't get as much hands-on work as we would like because of our other responsibilities.
We on the DRC have spent several years working on laying the initial foundation for a renewed D'ni. We were confident that there would be many others who would choose to join us in this endeavor and are extremely happy to see this starting to take place.
So we are very excited that you all have joined us here in D'ni, and we look forward to this cavern becoming the living, breathing city that it once was.
In the meantime, please feel free to ask us questions in the appropriate forum. We will not be able to answer all of your questions, no doubt, especially as the number of explorers grows, but we will try to answer what we can.
Born on March 12th, 1962, Marie Sutherland received a Doctorate in Anthropology from Southern Illinois University before entering the teaching profession. While in this profession she met Dr. Richard Watson and first joined an expedition to D'ni in 1993 before becoming a founding member of the DRC from 1997 to 2004. In 2006, when the DRC returned to D'ni, Marie retook her old position in the DRC. As part of her duties with the DRC Marie is responsible for Phases Three and Five. She is also known to at times differ with Cate, particularly her reluctance to allow advertisements in the Cavern. After Cate's resignation, she too departed for the surface to search for other Restoration funding sources. (GoG bio)
My apologies for being the last of the DRC members to make an initial public address. I'd hoped to submit an entry remotely, but recent tests of inter-Age communication have proved unsuccessful.
My name is Michael Engberg. I was initially asked by Dr. Wastson to consult with the expedition team in early 1998, and a year later he and his associates extended me a full-time position on the Council.
Building engineering is my primary area of expertise, but as with everyone involved in the Restoration, I've a myriad of other responsibilities. Based on Dr. Kodama's assessment of structural integrity throughout the Cavern, my team of Research Engineers and I recently completed a survey of the most promising sites. After recent discussions with Mr. Sharper, I'll potentially be leading another crew to expedite final restoration on Teledahn soon.
Though my schedule may permit but little time for interacting with this community, I do recognize its importance. A successful restoration of the physical structures within D'ni is meaningless if there are none who want to inhabit it. Your presence here is both encouraging as well as a reminder of how much work has yet to be done.
Born on September 9th, 1966, Michael Engberg has a Masters of Building Science which he obtained from the University of Southern California before he came to D'ni. He initially came in 1998 before joining the DRC from 1999 to 2004. From 2004 to 2006 he had a teaching position before returning to D'ni once more with his daughter Willow. As part of his duties in the DRC, he was in charge of the Restoration Phase Four for all structures. The untimely death of Willow, his only remaining daughter in late May 2007 overwhelmed him and caused him to disappear from the Cavern. He remained MIA until his sudden return on September 10th, 2007, and has kept silent on his future plans, including whether or not he will return to the Council. (GoG bio)
Don't feel too badly, Michael. The title of "Last DRC Member to Introduce Themselves" belongs to me. Though I have posted a couple of answers in the other areas. Maybe that counts. Smile.
In case it doesn't, my name is Dr. Richard A. Watson. My first trip to the D'ni cavern was way back in 1990, back before there was a DRC, back before there was a DRF, back when the number of surface dwellers who had been to D'ni were in the low double digits. Two years later, I joined Cyan while they were working on Myst, consulting for them as their D'ni Historian for the Myst and Riven projects. For the last ten years, my time has been divided between Cyan and various D'ni expeditions.
Now that the Cyantists are contributing directly to the restoration process, it is much easier for me to hold both my position at Cyan and my position with the DRC, though lately the DRC has been my primary focus.
Anyway, thanks to the other DRC members for introducing yourselves. I know some of you (not to mention any names, Dr. K.) were reluctant to participate here.
Born on June 8th, 1961, Richard Watson received a Doctorate in History from the University of Utah before being invited to D'ni by his good friend Elias Zandi. When Elias Zandi died in 1996 Dr. Watson became the sole chairman of the D'ni Restoration Foundation and decided to create the DRC one year later instead to help with the responsibility. While a member of the DRC, Dr. Watson wasn't responsible for any particular phase but instead helped out in a variety of areas. However, this came to a halt when he abruptly left the DRC following Phil Henderson's apparent death. Unable to cope with Phil's death, Dr. Watson went on Yeesha's Quest and was not heard from until Michael Engberg came to find him, and he returned, surprising all on September 11th, 2007. He confirmed that the "good" Bahro have created a "grand deception" that things are okay when in fact, destruction was headed their way. He stressed collaboration and unity in re-building the guilds as the D'ni did, and has refused to rejoin the DRC citing differences in philosophy. He is presently enlisting support from explorer groups for Restoration projects that engage his interest. (GoG bio)
Douglas Sharper was one of the first people to come to D'ni who was not associated with the DRC. He had a major role in the restoration effort which included being given control of Teledahn as well as some city structures. However despite having official sanction to work on restoring D'ni, Sharper often went behind the DRC's back and hid books, secretly gained access to closed off areas and held protests against the DRC. He also went on Yeesha's journey with Phil Henderson before any other restoration engineer or DRC member had. Because he so often went against the DRC, he eventually lost access to the city structures he had been given.
When the DRC abandoned their restoration efforts he stayed behind in D'ni and remained largely silent since the resumption of restoration in 2006, until March 2007 when Cate summoned him to investigate the apparent decimation of animals in Negilahn. In late May he witnessed a battle between different Bahro factions, and has also vowed to avenge the untimely death of Willow Engberg on the Bahro. He admitted to killing a "good" Bahro while being attacked by an "evil" Bahro faction. He was the first to alert explorers to the false sense of security in the Cavern because they were unknowingly being protected by "good" Bahro against "evil" ones bent on destruction. On November 6, 2007 he also departed for the surface.
Phil Henderson was a restoration engineer who was once in charge of restoring Eder Kemo. However, he went missing in 2003 through the journey door located in the Age and wasn't seen for a full year. Upon returning, Phil Henderson spoke with people about the teachings of Yeesha despite growing tension between himself and the DRC. Claiming to be concerned for Phil's safety, the DRC eventually locked him up in their Bevin's "Egg Room" for a few days until they released him. Upon being released, Phil went to an area near the Guild Hall on Ae'gura despite the fact the area was closed off and deemed unsafe. As a result, the wall he was on collapsed and he was presumed dead. Yet he surprised explorers when he suddenly returned to the Cavern on August 3rd, 2007, and reported that the Bahro took him to many places, and expanded his understanding. He was the first to definitively confirm Sharper's concerns that the good Bahro were protecting the Cavern from the coming destruction. He continues to warn explorers of coming destruction and to listen to Watson and Yeesha.
Nick was once a Restoration Engineer who translated documents from D'ni and into English. He started translating documents from Teledahn immediately after learning D'ni in 1998. During 2000 he also translated some documents from Rebek before being pulled off it. When the DRC returned in 2006 Nick White also returned; however, he makes frequent trips to the surface. Around December, 2006, Nick White was working on two Ages with Dr. Kodama, one of which is still unnamed.
On May 3rd, 2007, Nick's employment with the DRC was terminated. The reasons given for this action included poor job performance, "fraternization" with explorers, and leaking confidential DRC information in violation of the terms of his probation for previous violations of DRC policy. Since his termination, Nick continues to appear in the Cavern, sharing rumors he hears from other Restoration Engineers, many of whom still remain his friends, and accompanying Douglas Sharper on his expeditions. Nick remains calm and undaunted by the prophetic warnings of pending destruction.
Cate Alexander began securing funding for the DRC sometime after 2004 when they had to cancel the restoration efforts. She played a role in getting Turner to fund the restoration and has also contributed to the DRC's funds, herself. Her role with the DRC became even more more prominent when she announced in late June 2007 that she was elected to the Council to replace Michael Engberg, and that she also had a tie-breaker vote. Unlike the other DRC members, she is eager for new areas to be opened up quickly and so she pressures the DRC to open them faster. Her recent proposal to allow advertisements in the Cavern to alleviate funding issues has attracted much attention and controversy. She further surprised the community with her sudden resignation and departure on November 1st, 2007, and with it her financial backing for the Restoration.
Elias Zandi was a wealthy and eccentric archaeologist who often paid large sums of money for particular artifacts that he claimed were connected to him somehow. John Loftin came to Zandi one time claiming to have discovered ancient machines beneath the surface of the Earth and on the 19th of March, 1988 they travelled to the tunnels that led to D'ni.
Elias immediately began buying the land around the area of the tunnels and after another expedition with just Fighting Branch, he contacted his colleague Dr. Watson to join him on an expedition. During a later expedition in 1992 Elias revealed his desire to restore the city and populate it with people who called themselves D'ni. Elias became consumed with the restoration efforts and ignored his health until he died due to a massive heart attack in 1996. He left his wealth to the D'ni Restoration Foundation but left the land to his estranged son, Jeff.
The son of Elias Zandi, Jeff became an ally of Yeesha in gaining explorers to her cause. Most of the time he can be found at the Cleft in front of his trailer.
John Loftin discovered the D'ni digging machines in 1987 while searching for artifacts to sell to Elias Zandi. He went on several expeditions to D'ni with Elias Zandi and Richard Watson in the following years until he died during one of them in 1991.
Born January 17, 1959, in Pennsylvania, USA, Rand and his brother Robyn Miller co-founded Cyan, now Cyan Worlds, Inc. Cyan became famous from the unexpected success of their computer game Myst, which remained the number one-selling game for the remainder of the 1990s. Rand also worked on the game's sequel, Riven, and later realMyst and Uru: Ages Beyond Myst.
Still CEO, he is now less involved with working out storyline, gameplay and programming, instead focusing on managing the projects his company works on. As a sideline, you will find him portraying Atrus in the Myst sequels, some of which were created by other companies, including: Myst III: Exile (by Presto Studios), Myst IV: Revelation and Myst V: End of Ages (both by Ubisoft Montreal). However, he claims that he dislikes this job, and feels he is the wrong person to do it.
Relteltee is an explorer who was interviewed by the DRC and afterwards appointed as their Guilds Advisor. Reteltee does not vote with the Council, but is one who does independent research on the D'ni guild system before reporting to the Council and the explorers. While he tries to disclose as much information as possible on official movements, his reluctance to separate facts from personal interpretations regarding the D'ni Guild system have not satisfied explorers who desire the DRC to be more open in their decision-making.
J.D. Barnes is an anthropologist who recently entered the Restoration effort as an independent researcher and has collaborated with the DRC on several occasions. He did his graduate work at Oregon State at Corvallis and earned a Master's Degree in Applied Anthropology. He is involved in several projects, including production of a documentary, and has recently asked explorers for help in authenticating old documents from a surface dweller who may have visited D'ni long before the Zandis did.
Willow Engberg, nicknamed Wheely, is the daughter of DRC member Michael Engberg who was homeschooled in 2007 in D'ni. She liked to climb and explore the various Ages and was seen occasionally talking with players. In late May 2007 she and her friend Rose were trapped underneath a structural failure at the Kahlo Pub. Rescuers tried to reach her, but in vain. The DRC later revealed that her death was due to an enemy Bahro and not the rock fall.
Rosette Taylor, nicknamed Rose, was a close friend of Willow Engberg. She was a brand new explorer, and loved to roam the different Ages together with her friend. In late May 2007 a few explorers briefly met Rose with her friend Willow, shortly before the two of them were trapped underneath a structural collapse at the Kahlo Pub, where Rose was believed to have died instantly.
Brian Fioca was described by Douglas Sharper as "an eventual leader" of the explorer community in one of his November 2003 journal entries. Sharper praised him as one of those who "see right through" the DRC during its early stages. He also is the administrator of The Great Tree forum, another fan community which existed during the Uru Live Prologue. He recently completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in Seattle, Washington.
Yeesha was born almost 200 years ago to Atrus and Catherine, the main characters in the Myst series. Currently, one of her journeys is accessible in Myst Online: Uru Live; however, she made two others that have been released in the earlier games with a fourth one that was played out in real life. She made her first live appearance along with many Bahro on November 5th, 2007. There she confirmed that "destruction is coming," identified the enemy Bahro leader, promised to draw the Bahro War away from the Cavern, and challenged all to "find a way... make a home."
The Bahro are a race of creatures who have the natural ability to link at will. They were servants to the D'ni for thousands of years, and presumably gave the D'ni the ability to link to other Ages. Since explorers freed the Bahro from the power of the Tablet, the Bahro have now become free to make their own choices. Unfortunately, some of them have chosen revenge for revenge's sake, and are therefore bent on destruction of even innocent life. Yet according to Yeesha, most Bahro are friendly and have protected explorers, the life in the other Ages, and even the D'ni from destruction, even to the point of sacrificing their lives.]]></translation>
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>Editor's Note: Most of the information compiled below is taken directly from the D'ni Restoration Archives web site [and can be viewed in the Guild of Archivists wiki].
In late 2005 some DRC members began returning to the Cavern. In 2006 more and more explorers returned to the Cavern and the DRC began to meet with the explorers once more. The DRC had hope that they might be able to continue the Restoration efforts. The DRC asked the community to elect 5 liaisons, to make communication between the DRC and the community easier. The elected liaisons (CAGrayWolf, Eleri, Gadren, Tweek and Vortmax) organised various Town Hall meetings with the DRC, Cyan and the explorers.
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>Editor's Note: Most of the information compiled below is taken directly from the D'ni Restoration Archive web site. All original posts may be viewed at the DRC site forums [and the Guild of Archivists wiki].
In late 2005 some DRC members began returning to the Cavern. In 2006 more and more explorers returned to the Cavern and the DRC began to meet with the explorers once more. The DRC had hope that they might be able to continue the Restoration efforts. The DRC asked the community to elect 5 liaisons, to make communication between the DRC and the community easier. The elected liaisons (CAGrayWolf, Eleri, Gadren, Tweek and Vortmax) organised various Town Hall meetings with the DRC, Cyan and the explorers.
<font size=10 style=n><p align=left>Editor's Note: Most of the information compiled below is taken directly from the D'ni Restoration Archive web site. All original posts may be viewed at the DRC site forums [and the Guild of Archivists wiki].
With the whole of the UK remaining on lockdown for the foreseeable future and the walls of the flat continuing to close in on me, I've decided to start a new journal. It's been the longest time since I've felt the need to make a personal account, a testament to the period of relative stability in my own life for the past several years. But at this point, with all that is happening in the world I will happily throw myself into anything that can occupy me, no matter how temporary the respite it provides.
Ed and I are managing the best that we can, myself with hosting my subject lectures over Zoom and he with his ongoing duties to the University Archive. I am fortunate indeed for his company and for the structure that our work is providing. I can only begin to imagine what those who are living alone must be going through. It would be wrong of me to say that it is easy, though. There is a restlessness that is growing within me, and I must be careful not to allow it to manifest in ways that I will subsequently regret.
This morning, Ed walked in on me engaged in a blazing row with the living room carpet for daring to get in the way of the coffee I had spilt on it moments before.
Enough! There is only so much work I can pour myself into, so many books and other distractions that I can focus my attention on in order to stave off the increasing mental fatigue that clouds my waking moments. The human mind was not meant for these long periods of confinement. I of course understand what's at stake, and I will not chance putting myself or those I care about at risk. But truly I do not know how much more of all this that I can stand.
How I long for a change of scenery. To travel once more, feel a different air on my face, experience the thrill of discovering someplace new. If only such a thing were possible without taking a step outside the flat.
And such an obvious one at that. My mind has cleared as if it had comprehended the paradox of Zeno's Arrow for the first time. Such is my excitement and the effect of the last three months' confinement that, had I not checked myself, I am sure I would have grabbed the Relto book from its drawer in my study and immediately used it without a second thought.
No. No rushing. Let's do this right, I am trying to tell myself. But already I can feel my breath catch in my mouth, my hands trembling with a re-ignited excitement.
Travelling items assembled, plan of action drawn up. I asked Ed if he wanted to join me, but he politely declined, citing his responsibilities to the Archive and the prospect of having some "me-time". Entirely fair. I've promised him that I will be on the next flight back to the UK the second that he asks it. After months of putting up with me in close quarters, it's the very least that I can do for him.
It looks like I won't be alone again either, judging by the names popping up on my newly-acquired KI. Time to get to know the neighbours and work out what's what.<pb>05/06/2020
Right. Bearings have been acquired. Suffice it to say, this old place has been busy since my time down here over a decade or so ago. Fortunately there has been little contact with the surface since the events of the last few months have unfolded, and no reported cases amongst the community, so it looks like it will be safe to mingle with others, at least for the time being.
First of all, the practicals. The cavern WIFI seems to be holding firm, so contact can be maintained to the surface without having to keep hiking out to that sweltering gas station a couple of miles out from the caldera. Means I should be able to stick to my lesson plans for the foreseeable, if anyone asks I'll chalk up the change of scenery to some particularly immersive Zoom wallpapers. Food and drink shouldn't be an issue either, along with my provisions there's a number of active groups down here who have been spending the last decade getting the commune living down to a fine art. Between everyone chipping in with their contributions, the occasional supply run to the Surface and a few canny explorer's own agricultural efforts, this place has gotten nicely self-sufficient over the years. Remarkable.
Doesn't seem to be any one group in charge of things, there's certainly no equivalent presence to the DRC. From what I've gathered, the nearest there is to that kind of setup is a collection of age restorers, surveyors, technicians and the like who have bandied together and have been quite successful in working together for the past few years in fixing up new ages and select areas of the cavern. Indeed, my timing is quite fortuitous as there are plans to release several of these restored areas to the explorers within the next few months!
A few names keep cropping up amongst my readings and via conversations with others. Patrick Dulebohn seems to be the main figurehead, insomuch as that role applies to whatever autonomous collective lash up they've got going on down here. Very impressed with what he and the others have accomplished to date.
What started as simply a change of scenery to keep my mind from unravelling has taken on the potential to revive my dream of being able to teach the history of D'ni as part of the RNU's Classical Civilisations course. I should start getting a submission together. Maybe enough time has passed for it to be worth another shot.
Resisting the urge to stay too connected to things on the surface, the news only succeeds in depressing me at the moment. The UK in particular seems to have gone completely off its head. "Eat out to help out"?! Evidently my country's policy decisions are being written by the ghost of Sid James.<pb>20/08/2020
Woken up to an absolute bonfire of emails from the faculty this morning. The UK government couldn't have made a bigger disaster of this years' A-Level results unless they were actually rounding up students from state schools on horseback with big nets.
Bloody typical. First rumblings of new publicly released ages in D'ni for over a decade, and the entire national UK university system is on the verge of imploding. I'm not saying it's the stated goal of the universe to mess with me personally, but by the GODS it would certainly explain a few things.
Ended up having to miss the Chiso Preniv opening ceremony due to the A-Level results fallout requiring me to stay glued to my workstation. Fortunately Ed managed to talk me through getting set up on this Twitch streaming thingy, so I was able to watch it unfold live in between putting out the fires. Remarkable to see over three hundred or so people assembled in the Watcher's Pub, with Patrick delivering a very heartfelt and sincere address to the community that genuinely felt like the beginnings of something exciting.
Finally taken a look at Chiso Preniv. Will be fascinated to know the history of this place and when it was in use, it has something of the feel of one of my old Cambridge establishments about it. In any case, I am going to get SO much good reading done here.
While poking around the library, I met up with a delightful young fellow named Calum Traveler who has been assisting the new restoration with assorted projects. Very sound head on his shoulders, seems to have a good idea as to what's what down here. I should make an effort to keep in touch with him.
This pleases me. And while I'm not entirely sure what a Suhru Spring Wine is, it's making me feel like that Keep On Truckin' fellow had the right idea about things.
Report on the new ages done and submitted to the faculty. Fingers crossed they have the imagination to see the promise of future restoration efforts, even without official DRC oversight.
The lack of an official presence has always been a sticking point for them, it was what torpedoed my last efforts to get D'ni history officially recognized by the RNU back in the days of the Third Restoration. If only I could get them on board with this new explorer restoration and the work they've been doing. Surely they must see the significance of this new undertaking and what it could mean for the entire field of history itself?!
There'd be those in the dept who won't see it that way. Quintus never regained his interest once the truth behind Ahnonay's time-travel was uncovered. I keep hearing Beddingfield's jibe about "shacking up with the Mole People" on repeat in my head. Vulgar idiot.
If only it was easier to make the journey from home to the cavern. Just having a linking book to somewhere in the UK would cut down on SO much faffing around with travel logistics. Somewhere like London would be ideal. No more trans-Atlantic flights.
Got my call-up papers from the faculty. Looks like they want me on-site for the new semester. I had a feeling remote-working from Ae'gura was only going to take me so far.
Feels strange to be back on the surface after the excitement of the past few months. Already missing the city, along with the promise of what more remains to be discovered. Still, the Relto book on my study shelf is a welcoming sight to me, and the London link was managed without too much incident. I now have my means of returning to the city at a moment's notice.
Got my reply from Nkeiru today. The position hasn't changed. Without an official presence (DRC or otherwise), it doesn't look like I'm able to take anything I discover further, at least in terms of spinning a syllabus out of it all. The prospect of funding is definitely out of the question, it seems the memory of 2008 still lingers in the minds of the faculty.
Predictable. Absolutely justified, the potential liabilities alone were enough to make it a logistical impossibility before even dealing with the logistics of verifying course content. Still, bit of a kick in the teeth. Unless something major changes, it looks like any insights will be strictly mine alone, and on my time, to be shared without the official support of the University.
It's been a long time since I've been this deflated. Felt like I haven't looked up from a book for months, not even to acknowledge the arrival of the New Year it seems. My teaching duties and the RNU Archive are both proving a welcome distraction from politics, both personal and worldwide. Insomuch that even my trips to the Cavern have become sporadic.
Long chats with Ed and Echo over the past month have managed to re-align my head somewhat. Between them both, they have made me realise that there is more than one way to bring the wisdom and knowledge of D'ni to the world.
What's most important right now is to ensure that the work of the explorer restoration continues to progress. To this end, I've decided that I will volunteer my efforts to help them succeed in this very thing.
Enjoying some jelly babies and sticky buns down in Podhopper's hood. A relaxation sesh with sugar and e-numbers, what could possibly go wrong I ask myself.
Dropped into Er'cana tonight, got the old machinery up and running again. I always did enjoy my old baking routine. Partly out of the collaborative nature of the Lake Lighting project. Partly out of the primal monkey brain dopamine kick of seeing an arbitrary number go up.
Found a recipe in one of my old journals to get a nice uncomplicated bake going on. Definite room for increasing the potency though. Will try some experimentation, see what can be done.
There seem to be some rumours flying around about a recent document leak. All kinds of information about ages and city areas that the DRC were working on back in the day.
Managed to get some solid networking done today. Made the acquaintances of Kelsei Taylor, Briggs and Patrick Dulebohn during the Trebivdil unveiling. I'm always worried that my particular flavour of small-talking is off-putting to those outside my particular niches, but I consistently find myself at ease in this community. One of the many reasons I come back to it time and again.
In a follow-up message, I broached the subject to Patrick of volunteering my services to the restoration committee. He said that he was putting together an expedition of the Great Shaft in the coming weeks and that he would be up for having Kelsei and myself come along to help. I don't think I've responded in the affirmative to something so quickly in my entire life.
Drinks with Cal in the pub tonight, the very thing after several long weeks of exam invigilation. Spoke at length about the Lake Lighting project. Must remember to keep visiting Er'cana and have a constant batch on the go.
Also, to whoever stashed a dozen or so cones in the pub backroom tonight, my compliments to the sheer Tetris lunacy of your work. An installation at the Tate Modern is surely yours for the asking.
Just returned from a visit to the Vothol Gallery, had a nice cultured viewing with Kelsei and assorted others. I'm unsure as to whether the name Vothol refers to the location, or to its possible owner. What I've seen of it gives the impression of a small, private collection, which lends itself more to the latter, although given the lack of any distinguishing landmarks nearby or Great Zero beam for reference this is pure speculation on my part.
The pictures on display are beautiful indeed. Painted on glass or some other reflective material, illuminated by the gallery's multiple light sources. Would be very interested to know who the subjects were. Significant figures from D'ni culture, maybe? Personal acquaintances of the gallery owner, commissioned specially?
I was puzzled by one of the works in particular. Clearly damaged, no light shining on it. So why go to the bother of displaying it? Was the damage accidental, a result of the Fall? Or perhaps its very presence is a statement by the artist?
Plenty to think about, as fitting of all good works of art. Will keep an eye on the place and see if any restoration commentaries turn up, there's a history here I would love to know more about.
Rummaging through my old journals tonight, I came across the account of my first meeting with Echo all those years ago in the City. Reading back, it definitely possesses a number of the overindulgences and amateur flourishes that typified my writing at the time (and even now still rears its head, despite my best efforts). Still, was a fun trip down memory lane.
Still, there may be others who would find some enjoyment in reading it. And those shelves in Chiso Preniv look nice and inviting. I'll shoot Patrick a few lines, see what the process is for accepting donated works. In the meantime, let's see if I can make this prose a little less purple...
Took a stroll through Kirel today, remembering Dr Watson's old restoration addresses on the auditorium pedestal. I found myself struck by a thought. Right now, there isn't a single centralized location for communicating to explorers who's working on what, new areas that have been opened up, updates on current projects. The Guild of Messengers are doing solid writeups of things like the AGM, but social media being what it is it's proving very easy for them to get lost in the general online noise.
Looked over the podium with Cal yesterday. It's definitely beyond my limited technical expertise, but I think I sold him on the general concept. If I can get Patrick on board, I think we'll be in business.
Cal didn't seem in a good way. Losing his train of thought, apparently not sleeping right. He's been mucking about with those crystals and it looks like they're having a disturbing affect on him. I didn't press the issue. Perhaps I should have, given Ed and I's own past experiences with -
No, I'm overreacting. I'm sure it's all fine. But I did promise to bring down some chamomile with me next time I grab some provisions from up top, so I'll leave things there for now.
Very enjoyable catchup with Tyion. Lots of fun reconnecting over our CCN days. Felt myself slip up and call him "Mister" on more than one occasion, which amused him greatly. He seemed very interested in the discussed plans for the Kirel announcements, think he would be up for being involved, me writing and him voicing.
Cal and Patrick have managed to put me in touch with the right people for the Kirel auditorium sound system. Hazado in particular has been very helpful in hashing out the mechanisms. Said he had some ideas about incorporating surface and D'ni tech together to make it compatible with our audio input equipment.
Spent the evening in the Hall of Kings, reading up on the reign of King Ti'amel. Or, more accurately, that of his wife Shama, who was for all intents and purposes ruling D'ni in the absence of any effective leadership from the former.
Accomplished though she was, I'm somewhat aghast at the notion that Shama advocated against D'ni women holding government positions whilst she was effectively running the whole empire herself. Talk about pulling up the ladder behind her. Once again, I'm reminded that the lowest natures of Human and D'ni bear a disturbing resemblance to each other.
Came across an amusing image on the Classics side of Twitter today about finding the Library of Alexandria. Not thinking, I showed it to Edward. He just looked at me with a wistful look on his face and sighed, "I had that dream once, too".
Met with Kelsei for a drink yesterday, bought her up to speed on things re the Relto book they pulled out of the lake before enjoying a lovely music session courtesy of Fil Rowan.
I'm really enjoying these musical gatherings that the community is putting on, they're doing a lot to make the Cavern come to life down here. Must make sure they get acknowledged in the Kirel announcements.
Had a listen to the audio recording in the Kirel auditorium today. Think we've got the sound levels to where they need to be. Barring any last minute amendments or tech hiccups to be sorted, this should be ready for listening in the next month or so.
Some of the sound engineers had the excellent idea of seeing if there were any bilingual French/German/Italian/Spanish speakers who would be up for doing translations. Going to take soundings and see if anyone's interested.
Just left the docks following an encounter from the returning Wayne Todd, owner of the waterlogged Relto. Chap is in dire need of a good meal and a scrub, but otherwise all of him is present and accounted for.
He came bearing remarkable news. The lake algae is alive, and in a healthier state than currently thought! His estimations as to the return of a functioning lake light cycle may be in the region of a year or so, maybe even months. The equipment he was surveying has something to do with the regulation of the algae's food. It's going to take time and significant manpower to get it back up and running again, but if we can pull it off, it'll give the cavern day/night cycle a SIGNIFICANT shot in the arm.
What a fantastic lecture. So good to see JD in his element again, he and Gary Buddell delivered a fascinating examination of the Mee-Dis War in the Watcher's Pub tonight.
Worrying news from Cal about possible lake contamination, looks like there's been a spike in metal content which could have a negative effect on the lake algae. He and Kelsei are doing some investigations at the overflow station, and it sounds like they've narrowed down the source of it.
VERY interesting project in the works from Christopher Therberg. A memorial for the D'ni cavern, honouring those who lost their lives in the Fall. Looks like he's planning to erect it at the King's Memorial Plaza in Ae'gura. Some design schematics and a concept for the plaza layout have been uploaded to the Beneath forums for feedback.<pb>10/12/21
Now THAT was a satisfying library restocking. Seems I've picked up more than a couple of things after helping Ed with the RNU Archive for all these years.
Took the opportunity to properly catalogue my account of Echo and I's first meeting (which I've dubbed "The Painter", once again proving I never could quite get the hang of titles) and find a nice place for it on the shelves. Feels good to finally get it out there for people to read. Here's hoping if I turn up any more of my older works it doesn't take me so long to edit it down into something readable.
Bags packed, documents assembled, fetching panama hat retrieved from storage and sufficiently dusted down. Officially ready for my jaunt to sunnier climes for the festive season.
Saddened that I'll be missing the Tiam unveiling today, but looking forward to exploring it in the New Year. I have no doubt that Ametist will give it the best possible introduction.<pb>04/01/22
Suitably recovered from seasonal adventures and New Years Eve shindigs on the surface and elsewhere, though still slightly wobbly in places. Nkeiru's home-made Bramble Gin takes no prisoners, it must be said.
Looking forward to what 2022 may bring, particularly in regards to the restoration. In particular, I must set aside some time during this week to give Tiam a proper going over.
Took a visit to Veelay Tsahvahn today, have a quiet moment's contemplation of those no longer with us. I was quite surprised to find something there, something I was not expecting to see again after all these years.
Met one of Cal's old collaborators tonight, Carl Palmner, who ran the Heritage Nights with him way back in the day. Really quite heartening to see more of the explorer community's old hands popping back in to see what's going on. Here's hoping he sticks around.
Resting from a long day of cutting back the overgrown vines and other creeping foliage in Eder Naybree with Cal. Was fun to give the machete an airing, been a long time since the old sword-arm saw some action. Don't think he was quite expecting the full extent of the collection I had bought down with me, must admit to being amused by the look on his face. Probably for the best he didn't ask how I came by them.
I do not possess many berserk buttons, but seeing tech-bros appropriate the words of Marcus Aurelius in order to convince others to invest in whatever "crypto-currency" is... well, that's definitely one of them.
Ran into a couple of new explorers in the City tonight, a pair of musicians by the name of Nick Knight and Joe Abraham. Friendly lads, freshly arrived from up top. Had a good chat, gave them a couple of pointers as to how things work down here.
Must remember to look up their music. Damn, should have asked them for links to it. What would it be, Bandcamp? One of those Spotifys? I vaguely remember Grooveshark being a thing, is that still a thing?
I am -so- behind the zeitgeist it hurts. Must ask Ed if he can give me a crash course on what the Internets are all about these days.
21/02/22
Bumped into Cal in the Pub tonight tinkering with the Nexus terminal. Sounds like if he can score some replacement parts he'll be able to get it hooked up to the Lattice and have it working again. Will be nice to cut down the legwork needed to drop in.
22/02/22
Kelsei introduced me to an explorer named Taliana during tonight's relaxation session in PodHopper's hood. Offered to help with German translation duties for the Kirel broadcast, which is all kinds of excellent.
I really must crack on with that this week and get the next one done. This particular kind of endeavour isn't going to lend itself well to a Douglas Adams approach to deadlines.
Little bit saddened I won't be making this Saturday's Deep City Lecture. Still, it's not every weekend I get to attend a conference on Anglo-Saxon history at the Brighton Pavilion. I'm sure JD won't hold it against me.
Ed'll be joining me, said something about "giving his pineal gland a tune-up". The mind boggles.
12/03/22
Back from Brighton. Conference was fantastic, the presentation on Anglo-Saxon artifacts from the Dunshelm region in particular was really something special. Nice follow-up chat with Dr Boyd, we had a LOT to talk about in terms of our mutual (and somewhat unique) encounter with this period of history.
Currently I am in the process of recharging from Ed's various counter-cultural activities, which were something of a wild wide. Definitely a life he's more cut out for than me. Still, it's one that's always fun to drop in on from time to time.
Just got back from a few days up in Cambridge. Was good to meet up with family, along with checking in with my old colleague Tamara Baylis at the English Heritage restoration team at Wrest Park estate. Lovely old manor and grounds, especially now that Spring is finally here. Also excellent to see Tamara doing well with herself, it's good to know there's a life and career after the RNU, at least for those of us who somehow manage to escape.
Ugh, train commuting taking it out of me. Travelling by Linking Book has spoiled me as of late. Some green tea and bit of Erik Satie on Radio 3, that'll sort me out.
-
Reading the Beneath forums with horror at Cal's recent encounter at the Pellet Overflow Station that saw him attacked.
Tiredness be damned. Heading down to the Cavern now.
20/03/22
Spoke to Cal over KI. Seems ok. Sounds like the harm caused was more accidental than anything else. Decided not to press the issue. The last thing he wants is me overreacting again like last time with the crystals. At least nowadays he has Kelsei looking after him.
Also spoke to a new arrival while I was down, Tiernan Quinlan. Sound chap, seems to be a Doctor of Medicine. Told him about Cal's altercation. Was disturbed to hear that he's had his own encounter with a worker who was acting suspicious. Between these two incidents and the recent rash of explorer thefts, we could be looking at the makings of something more sinister in the works.
Either way, it feels good to have a medical chap close to hand from now on.
27/03/22
I finally managed to catch up with Cal in-person this weekend. Nice chat, talked assorted projects. Some very interesting discussions about what can be done with the KIs, utilizing the audio speech/text functions. There's the making of a solid idea here. Going to develop it a little further and see if it can catch the imagination of one of the other restoration techies.
05/04/22
Patrick is apparently of a mind to make our work area in the lower level of Chiso Preniv public knowledge to explorers. I'm certainly all for making ourselves as accessible to the community as possible, and it would help to ensure we remain as accountable at all levels in the way that the DRC of old was not.
The recent thefts and sabotages do give me some cause for concern, though. I may have to give some thought as to what items I am comfortable leaving unattended. DEFINITELY keeping the drinks cabinet locked for the time being.
27/04/22
Spoke with Cpt. Jericho in the Chiso library today, brought her up to speed about the recent explorer thefts. The good Captain assured me that her own stocks of ammo, anti-material weapons and landmines in the Cavern remained untouched, which relieved me before I fully considered the implication of her words, although the reference to the nuclear submarine in the lake suggests she was giving my leg a thorough pulling.
I certainly hope to the Gods she was. Regardless of who is behind these recent thefts and sabotages, the last thing we want is actual military hardware falling into their hands.<pb>07/05/22
Today has definitely been a day where the lines separating the known realms have been a bit on the thin side.
Following the AGM, who should make an appearance but my old friend Madame Sophia, from the Astral Bureau of Circulation in Boston. Back in the early days of my friendship with Echo (that would be, what, 2007? 2008? Ugh, the linear passage of time strikes again) I had thought there may have been a psychic aspect to her visions, and had been pointed in the direction of the ABC as a legitimate source of understanding as to mediums and their practices. I have always and continue to maintain what I consider to be a healthy skepticism of the field and its abstract affiliations, knowing something of the damage that can be inflicted upon the emotionally vulnerable by predatory manipulators. It was therefore quite refreshing to find in Sophia a pragmatic and academic-orientated woman who welcomed both my skepticism and my desire for tangible knowledge, and who left me with a greater understanding of what lies beyond the sundered veil.
All in all, it was something of a shock to see her step forward as the proceedings in Kirel wound down. She didn't look at all comfortable with her surroundings, and I have a feeling that she may have arrived freshly from the surface. She certainly had little time for pleasantries, arriving simply to deliver some cryptic words of prophetic warning (of which I cannot pretend to offer any insight beyond the superficial) before leaving just as quickly as she had appeared.
The encounter was swiftly followed by a meeting up with Echo, who proceeded to undergo one of her Narrative Insights. Another story of the Fall, this time concerning a child taken by two strangers from a group at the Concert Hall. What could they mean? And could there be a connection between the two? Damnation, I wish I possessed the kind of mind suitable for abstract thought. After all these years, it still feels like I know so much yet understand so little.
Regardless, it was good to hear Echo speak once more. I've grown to miss her stories in the intervening years, and she can still keep a crowd totally enraptured.
19/05/22
Ed and I made a shocking discovery today. An injured young man, found on the lower levels of the Great Library. No idea as to the nature of his injuries, they were either the result of a dodgy step or some unstable masonry had tried to do him in.
Luckily we were able to get Tenny down quick-sharpish, and he's currently resting in his Sanctuary Clinic. He seemed in a bad way, was unable to recall anything about himself, or even recognize where he was. All that's known so far is the name pulled from his damaged KI: Benavud. Hopefully somebody will come forward with more information.
So much for that catchup weekend I'd planned. Was looking for a nice sedate couple of days with some Vivaldi and that hardback JB Priestley I found in the Archive. Instead, I'm currently having an existential crisis about an imminent First Contact situation and not knowing what tea to bring with me.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER, YOU ONLY GET ONE AND OUR FATES COULD ALL HINGE ON EITHER PU-ERH OR THE CHAI LATTE
Damn it. Get it together, Jules. Your A-Game is needed on this one.
Cal's safe, at least for now. Currently stuck in Rei'schu, working his way through a local ailment he picked up there. A timely reminder that the D'ni had Maintainer suits for a reason.
Lots to be sussed out in respect of the inhabitants. There's going to be some finessing needed before things get disclosed to the larger community. For now, I'm just relieved things turned out the way they did.
In the process of ascertaining Benavud's medical history and to try to get some idea as to where he came from, Tenny did a standard series of tests. Blood, allergens, DNA, the usual.
Turns out he's anything but. The DNA test came back and the results are DEFINITELY non-human. The possibility of dealing with a book-worlder is now very real. Perhaps even...
No. Not going there. Absolutely no point right now. I'm still processing everything that happened on Rei'schu and what it could mean for the restoration.
But we need to get to the bottom of this. If he HAS come from another age, more come looking for him and he's found injured in our care, we could be staring down the barrel of a serious diplomatic incident. One that's going to take more than a nice cuppa to smooth over.
Resting following Jubilee Bank Holiday on the surface. Felt unmoved by the whole thing. I can remember a time when the pageantry and the historical prestige of it all meant something to me on an emotional level. Nowadays it all rings so false. Words and symbols that I am no longer able to connect with, with nothing of worth behind them.
The last two decades of my life have seen my eyes open to so much. So many rich truths and wonderful possibilities. But so many more comfortable falsehoods and hollow beliefs have laid themselves bare in that time. And sometimes it feels like there are so many more of the latter to be found.
Carl and I spoke with Benavud today, with Tenny's agreement. Seems to be on the up and up, certainly better than he was a couple of weeks ago. Still has no idea about who he is or where he came from, but he did find the KI snaps that DS5 took of the Great Library vaguely familiar. So there's *something* to be pieced together. We just have no idea what it is yet.
Benavud's agreed to make the trip to the Great Tree Hood tomorrow to meet the wider explorer community, field some questions. Tenny's given it the ok, though for obvious reasons he'll be keeping him under observation throughout.
Tried to leave a few gifts for Ben on the way out, unfortunately the good Doctor was a bit too quick off the mark for me. The box of green tea was permitted, but the bottle of Morgans Spiced that Ed sent me in with got swiftly confiscated. Thankfully Tenny took it all in good humour, but I should probably leave it a day or two before broaching the subject of its return.
12/06/2022
Benavud's first public appearance went fantastic. Everyone exceedingly polite, yet curious to find out more about him. Ben seemed to take everything well, even going so far as to join the Great Tree Hood at the end of it. I have no doubt he's going to fit right in with everyone else.
The idea was hit upon of explorers showing him around the Journey Ages, since we found him with Yeesha's shirt and apparently he holds the Bahro Journey ring in his Relto. Have to admit, not a bad notion. Will be interested to see if it jogs any latent memories.
19/06/2022
Always gives me a vague sense of unease, seeing the campus so empty following the end of the academic year. Like I'm in my own personal re-enactment of the opening sequence from George A Romero's "Day of the Dead".
Aaaand now my brain is filled with nothing but haunting 80's synth. I really am adept at walking into traps of my own devising.
Disturbing news from the Cavern in the meantime. Looks like the Overflow Station's been gone over again, this time by a whole gang of malcontents. And they've done a thorough job in wrecking the place from the looks of it. Things are serious enough to have bought Cal back from Rei'schu to oversee, thankfully looking a lot healthier than the last time I saw him.
After discussions with the others, the decision's been made to put on a Town Hall in the Great Tree Hood. It's been a concept we've been kicking around before, but given recent events there feels a definite need to give it a proper roadtesting. Let's see if we can pull something over the next few days.
Ah, for the days when year end meant a respite for myself as well.
22/06/22
Town Hall done. And not too bad a job we did, I think. Definitely a few places the format can do with some refining for future events, but the definite principle of the thing is solid.
Explorers were consulted on a number of decisions, which they voted on with the majority decision being enacted. Eder Naybree was selected as an age to be released next, with Highgarden following. A slower, more secure restoration of the Overflow Station was chosen (sensible bunch). And, most excitingly, it was agreed that formal diplomatic channels to Rei'schu would be opened.
Guess I'd better get some more of the Eton Mess in!
08/07/22
Benavud seems to have reacted negatively to the Journey Doors, saying something behind it was "bad". Bit of a cause for concern, that. Still, he's recognizing more and more aspects of those ages, so retracing his steps with explorers seems to be doing the trick. I can only hope he'll be ready to deal with the answers to the questions he has if and when they present themselves finally.
A message has been left for us on the hood imager by this Ami person. A message with a name. "Harlan".
I've heard it somewhere before. I know I have. Who is he? And why is Ami trying to bring us together? Why doesn't he simply reach out to us directly?
We need to know more. I'm tired of us simply reacting to events as they happen. It's time to take the initiative.
09/07/22
How long has this all been going on for? Has every act of sabotage, every misplaced item, been the work of whoever this unknown group is? Have they been here since the very start?
There is one thing I am convinced of. This group, whoever they are, is fracturing. Members such as this Ami, or Sami or whoever her name is, are actively pulling away and trying to undermine it. There is a chance that, if we just hold fast and allow this all to play out, the group will implode of its own accord. This would be the optimum scenario, provided of course the rest of the community remains unaffected.
Power struggles, clashes of ideals. I've seen this before. It's a manner of degradation similar to that observed in fringe political organizations. And often
No. No not that.
Not here.
PLEASE not here.
20/07/22
Finally got around to meeting Logan tonight during Fil's music night. Seems a decent sort, I can see why the good Doctor is taken with him.
Cal has dug up a reference to Harlan in one of his old journals. He's the founder of a group called "The Children of the New Seed". I had heard JD mention it once on Twitter a while back, but didn't think anything of it then and it hadn't registered until Cal mentioned it again. Once again I feel undone by the ephemeral nature of Social Media.
I had my suspicions, and they are now all but confirmed. A cult. A bloody *cult*. I had hoped to be done with them for good. I certainly had no desire to see them spring up in this new society taking root in D'ni today.
This can't go on. Some manner of mutual understanding has to be reached. There is no other choice.
At least, there is none that I am willing to entertain.
27/07/22
Well that was a utter catastrophe.
The second Town Hall was gatecrashed by the saboteurs. Evidently the direct action they've taken so far hasn't been direct enough, necessitating a personal visit. And given the unhinged rhetoric they were spouting about a "true D’ni prophet" and "the direct command of Yahvo himself", it sounds like our theories about the events of the last few months being the work of a cult were right on the money.
There is a real chance that things are going to get very nasty for us all unless this is dealt with. Kelsei recently spoke to me in regards to bringing in some outside help. I think now may be the time to do so.
28/07/22
It has been a long time since I have felt both this physically and mentally vulnerable in the Cavern. Not since the events at Kirkstall Abbey all those years ago have I felt myself so on edge, jumping at creeping shadows that lay just out of sight.
D'ni was meant to be my sanctuary. The one place where I could remain untethered from all of the noise and happenings of this world and all others. That boundary has now been violated.
I had forgotten what it was like to face a threat from those who would wish harm upon me, and I am not dealing with it in the way I was once able to. Ed has suggested a week or two on the surface to re-compose myself.
I think I will take his advice.
14/08/22
I have returned to the cavern after some much needed restoration of a personal nature, what I believe the youth of today refer to as "self-care". Despite being subjected to some distressing recurring dreams featuring unwelcomely familiar motifs from all aspects of my life, the time away has served me well and I am slowly beginning to feel my old self again, although I am still finding myself wary of larger crowds.
Radio Free D'ni is putting on some Billy Joel tomorrow. I think I will set up shop in the Messenger's Pub and listen in.
15/08/22
I was joined in the Pub today by Tenny. Over many drinks and discussions of many common interests, I feel like I understand a little more as to the good Doctor's nature.
We were further accompanied by a gentleman seemingly tending the bar, a most unusual occurrence for the Mesenger's Pub. An older fellow with the air of practiced authority about him. He himself poured us a drink (with superb mixology skills, if I am any judge) and engaged us in conversation, where he spoke highly of the collaboration that the cavern had seen in recent times, of the spirit of community and a life that obtained fulfillment in the service of others. I felt myself nodding along with everything that he was saying without objection, right up until the point where I glanced at my KI and saw who it was we had been conversing with.
Harlan Mason had chosen that moment to make his appearance to us. And he had *much* to say.
Lot to process. Going to need to take my time with this one. For now, I have Echo and her delicious cider to keep me warm.
16/08/22
Alright, I think I have the shape of things clear in my mind.
Mason is the leader of a group, the Children of the New Seed, as we worked out some time back. He espoused the usual sentiments you would find in similar New Religious Movements around community building, charity, strength in a shared vision. He spoke highly of myself and Tenny’s involvement in the community to date. Definitely felt a little bit love-bombed looking back at it, a common recruiting tactic used to bring people into these sorts of groups. He did seem sincere in his words, though I will be withholding judgement as to his intentions until I learn more for myself.
He did seem very insistent on separating himself and his group from the actions of Rafe, Marcus, Tally and the others, of whom he all but confirmed were part of a splinter group from his own, one whose philosophies and anger are not accepted by him. I could see the pain in his eyes when he spoke of Rafe in particular, of whom he considered a friend. There is clearly much that has occurred behind closed doors, unbeknownst to both the wider community and us volunteer age restorers.
In any case, Harlan has pledged the knowledge and resources of his own group in dealing with Rafe and his supporters. Between this and the efforts of the outside help we are bringing in, I am convinced that the machinations of these lunatics can be stood against and their threat to the restoration bought to an end.<pb>21/08/22
Was introduced to Harry Williams today, the first of our outside help. Something of a regular Philip Marlowe type. Seems to understand the assignment, though the magnitude of the history surrounding the Cavern was something he still seemed to be grappling with. Still, I have it on good authority from those who know of such things that his investigative abilities are highly regarded in his profession, so I have full confidence in him.
23/08/22
Spoke to another new arrival today, this one by the name of Catchen (so much sudden fresh interest in our work down here! It really is fantastic to behold). A thoroughly interesting young woman with bright purple hair and a most inquisitive mind. Assisted her in getting her bearings and showing her the Chiso library with Kelsei, along with our workplace. Definitely someone to keep in touch with.
By a splendid co-incidence I happened to run into Dr Robert Murry, the second of our outside help bought on to assist with the New Seed's splinter faction. Based on our encounter he seems to share both my love of history, exploration of far-flung locales and delicious spirits. I foresee some fun nights in both he and Tenny's company ahead of me.
31/08/22
Third Town Hall went off without a hitch, much to my relief following last month's chaos. Cal took the opportunity to announce his plans for an ambassadorial mission to Rei'schu, opening it up to explorers to join. Dr Murry couldn't wait to put himself forward as a volunteer, citing his own first contact experiences with a number of lost tribes. I have no doubt he will be an asset to the cause.
Was also good to see Benavud making an appearance, a number of explorers have been asking about him in recent weeks. Sounds like he's been surface-based in that time. He seems less convinced that his origins lie beyond the surface, although he remains determined to find a definitive answer. Regardless, I'm glad he’s back.
01/09/22
After some consideration, I've put myself forward as a delegate for the Rei'schu diplomatic trip. I must move on from whatever melancholia that the New Seed splinter group has bought down upon me. Immersing myself in the culture of a new world and helping to build ties with their people may be exactly what I need.
09/09/22
Benavud and I took a search of the area behind the library barricades today in the hopes of jogging some further latent memories. No luck, but I'm convinced there's more to be found here. Ben has agreed we should keep searching.
10/09/22
After an enjoyable Story Night courtesy of r'Tay I took the chance to check out the newly available Eder Naybree where I bumped into Cal. He and Kelsei have really done a good job on the place. Looking forward to pondering the significance of those curious markings on the upper levels, along with those co-ordinates in the back of the journal I came across.
14/09/22
So Ben is D'ni, or at least carries their DNA.
He hasn't taken it well, from what I’ve heard. Poor lad. It's a hell of a thing to wrap his head around. I will do my best to ensure that he knows the quality of his character remains unaffected by this knowledge.
15/09/22
And so begins a new academic year. A whole new intake of fresh students, ready for the histories of the ancient world to be poured into their heads. A meetup with Ed in the Archive after lectures had concluded has resulted in a number of ideas for the Rei'schu delegation, which I am looking forward to sharing with the other ambassadors.
Busy days ahead, on and below the surface.
20/09/22
Haven't heard anything in respect of the New Seed splinter group for a while now. If I had to guess, I'd say they’ve caught wind of Rob and Harry's own investigations and of Mason's offer of support, and are keeping a low profile. Best case scenario, the increased pressure caused by our attentions has compounded the pace of their previous fracturing resulting in their total dissolution.
I've recently given thought as to the possible motivations for their actions to date, and I am unable to ascertain any kind of sense from them. They surely cannot hope to succeed in driving explorers from the Cavern in order to stake some kind of territorial claim. At this point, attempting to impose any kind of centralized control on who can enter D'ni is an exercise in pure futility. There are far too many means of access, and a group of this apparently low size barely qualifies as a nuisance to explorers, let alone an effective means of obstructing them. What is it then they were hoping to achieve? And for what purpose?
There is a chance their true intent will never be known to us. Perhaps it is for the best. There is so much more to be accomplished here than dealing with the petty intrigues of a fringe religious sect.
28/09/22
Town Hall went well again. It feels like we're starting to find our rhythm with them. Lots of good discussion about Eder Naybree and the upcoming trip to Rei'schu. Should start collecting together my own contributions for presentation.
Was approached by an explorer by the name of Angelmyst, who offered me her journal for potential submission to the Chiso library. Will run it past Patrick and see what he thinks, but I know he will jump at the chance to get more explorer writings on the shelves. It certainly makes for a very engaging personal account.
15/10/22
Ran into Cpt. Jericho in Eder Naybree today, spoke about our plans for the Rei'schu delegation. She raised the potential issue of introducing live animals to an unknown ecosystem and the havoc it could wreak, which is a legitimate concern. Must make sure to stress the importance of this to their leaders. We must ensure a Tehranee situation is prevented at all costs.
19/10/22
Back from Rei'schu. First round of diplomatic talks went well I'd say, despite one of the Mayors trying to scupper the entire thing by way of a gigantic crab. But all in all, they seem to like the cut of our jib, not to mention the sound of our tunes. Looking forward to reading Tenny's write-up, it’s going to make for fun reading.
Now to work out where exactly we're going to source a whole bunch of chickens and pigs from. Right after I recover from what I am reliably informed by my students is called an "absolute bangover".
20/10/22
If I thought my own physical state had been put through the wringer by the events of the last few days (self-inflicted as it was), it was nothing compared to what Ed had to deal with in Whitby. I should have known that the appearance of a first edition Elias Bodenheimer would court the attention of interested parties besides the RNU.
Ed has since returned, having successfully liberated the tome from those whose designs were somewhat darker in nature. Physically he seems unharmed, but his experiences have clearly rattled him in a manner all too familiar to me. I will make myself available to him in his archival duties for the foreseeable, see if I can take some of the weight off his shoulders while he recuperates.]]></translation>
Reporting this to you, since Calum's still quarantined. I've been looking into events around the cavern as asked, regarding our mysterious new visitor as well as these unnamed troublemakers.
Regarding the troublemakers, here's the new information I've gleaned:
- Three explorer's journals went missing from one of the hoods. They are positive they left them there. The explorers were only gone for a few minutes.
- Some explorers set up a sound system in a hood to have a party. Apparently almost no one came. The hosts went to AeGura to try to find people, and when they got back, the speakers had been smashed and the equipment ruined.
- A note was tacked onto the wall in Watcher's Sanctuary with the words "Leave the cavern or the gnome dies!" I can only assume they mean TikiBear's garden gnome. Not sure if this is our troublemakers or someone else playing a prank.
- Someone had a portable heater in Delin for the cold snowy season. It disappeared overnight.
- Calum's Lego chess set, which I borrowed, has now gone missing. He's not going to be happy with me about that.
Most frustratingly, no one has seen the saboteurs and thieves since Calum's encounter with them. I'm keeping an eye on Tiernan Quinlan, since they seem to have a personal vendetta against him, although why they would is beyond me. I'll keep my eyes open. Maybe we should think about hiring some security?
With regard to Benavud, I'm afraid I've hit a dead end. Nobody--and I mean NOBODY--seems to know him. It's pretty exasperating that the guy can't remember anything himself. All we know about him is that he was injured and dressed in a Yeesha shirt when Jules found him. His bloodwork indicates he's not human, which would imply a D'ni or Bookworlder--except that the clothing he was wearing (besides the shirt) was typical surface clothing and he speaks fluent English. I suspect the same troublemakers who are stealing other things are probably responsible for stealing his Books, but how they got to his Relto I have no idea. If Benavud could remember anything about his life before Jules found him, we'd probably know a lot more. I think we should keep an eye on him, and be ready in case his people--whoever they are--come looking for him.
I've also asked around about the Saturday Prophecies (that's my name for Madame Sophia's premonition and Echo's vision the same day). While everyone has theories, nobody's come to any firm conclusion on what they mean. I'm inclined to think Calum was right about not putting much stock into prophecies.
<translation language="English"><![CDATA[<cover src="ChisoPrenivPainterJournal*1#0.hsm"><font size=20 face=URU color=000000><margin left=62 right=62 top=48><pb>There has to be an easier way to collect these blasted things, I thought. One that doesn't involve my immediate death. That would be nice.
I sighed, withdrawing my arm to wipe the perspiration from my brow. The refreshing breeze wafting along the Tokotah Alley was doing little to stifle the nervous anticipation I felt, perched on the edge of a crumbling pathway the sight of which would give most health and safety inspectors good cause to lie down in a darkened room for several hours. I idly wondered what had happened to the cones that once denoted this walkway as unsafe. Not that I felt that much explanation was required in matters of the dangers presented by a two thousand foot drop.
And yet, here I was, kneeling on the edge of abrupt oblivion, my arm stretched out and gesticulating wildly, all considerations to my own welfare cast aside. To anyone watching, I must have looked like I was attempting a piece of abstract performance art. Or undergoing some manner of theological epiphany. Some action not typically undertaken by the objectively sane, in any case.
I needn't have worried. Anyone down here knew exactly what I was doing. And I was but the latest in a long line of many visitors to the underground caverns of D'ni to do so.
One last effort. I strained my arm as far as it would reach, ignoring the angry protestations my tendons offered up. My efforts were rewarded by a sudden blinking from my wrist as my KI finally registered the presence of the hologramatic marker projected in front of me, suspended over the drop. Success. Accompanied by a sudden flush of equal parts triumph and numbness, I delicately reached my other arm forward and tapped the flashing button on the device, taking care not to lose the remains of my already unsteady balance. The marker instantly blinked out of existence. Its co-ordinates were now stored within the KI's memory, ready to be uploaded into the Great Zero along with the rest of the marker data I had spent all day meticulously collecting.
Satisfied, I withdrew my arm back and instantly edged away from the precipice, nursing the sudden feeling of exhaustion that I'd pushed to the back of my mind but had now finally elbowed its way forward, presenting as it did an angry bill for its services. The entire day had seen me stretching, dangling, crawling, leaping, generally forcing my body to do things it really wasn't cut out to do, all so I could do my bit as part of the Great Zero's seemingly endless calibration procedures. And while it was certainly a change of pace from exploring the newest batch of restored ages uncovered by the DRC, it was by no means my idea of unwinding.
As I stood, I brushed a generous build-up of dust and rubble particles from my red shearling coat, sending a fine cloud wafting away through the air around me. Further administrations cleared my beard and gloves of any stray discolourings, and I retrieved my glasses from my coat pocket and returned them to my face. After a final check of my extremities to ensure all were present, accounted for and firing on all cylinders, I began taking a casual stroll along the side street and back into the main plaza.
It was definitely quieter in Ae'gura right now, save for the ceaseless sounds of restoration works going on all around us. Many explorers seemed to be taking solace in the newly-unveiled Watcher's Pub and Er'cana, making the most of what a drastically understaffed DRC could offer for them in terms of new findings that could be safely released to the community. But I knew it was more than that. For some time now, it felt as though a deep sense of bleakness had infiltrated our community's former optimism, something that was causing most of them to consciously avoid the city.
The source was obvious. As I looked down the Grand Staircase, I could see the wreath that had been left outside the entrance to the Kahlo pub in memory of Wheely Engberg and her friend Rose. The sight of it bought back bad memories. Instinctively I rubbed my fingers over the still-raw injuries to my right hand, self-inflicted upon a nearby wall in the Great Tree hood in a moment of furious rage after seeing the catatonic toll Wheely's death had taken on her father Michael.
And with the mourning had come the fear, as it always does when that which is unknown leads to such fatal consequences. Already rumours had begun to spread, new fears taking hold in ourselves. Fears of the Bahro, those creatures whose suffering we had once taken so close to our hearts, whose freedom we triumphed in, they who now seemingly demanded blood in exchange for their centuries of captivity. Blood of myself and my fellow explorers.
The explorers once had such high hopes for the opportunities this new restoration would bring. Some had even spoke of making D'ni their new home. Such optimism seemed so far away now, undone by the recent tragedy. There was simply no possibility of life in the city returning to any kind of normal.
She sat overlooking the balcony area, gazing out over the canyon at the distant bridge. She wore a comfortable turquoise jumper with dark jeans, both of which were dotted with stray drops of her brush's colourful essence. As she turned her head to the side, I could see her eyes were unfocused, almost wild - as though she had surrendered her mind entirely to the object gripped lightly between her fingers and it was she, not the brush, who was allowing her strokes to be dictated.
I crept closer in silence, masking my footsteps with the greatest of care. I could see that the landscape of the painting was complete and the painter was ready to commence adding the people. She tilted her head down to stir the small cup of water at her side, and I couldn't help but notice with slight mirth a smudge of orangish-green paint on her nose. Stopping at the outer edge of the balcony circumference, I took no further steps. Partly because I knew the frustration of having one's immersion broken, partly out of the social anxiety of introducing myself to others that I've never quite managed to shake off. I contented myself with standing in silence, transfixed by the arrangement of colours on the canvas and the application of the brush to them.
The stillness of our surroundings was broken abruptly by the sight of an explorer on the distant bridge hurling themselves towards the waters below. I shuddered. Not several hours ago I had found myself making this same leap in order to retrieve yet another marker for my calibration task, and when I closed my eyes I could still picture the unforgiving rocks and my reflection in the lake water below growing in size as I tumbled downwards towards it. I have never counted myself a daredevil, and the experience was not one I had any intention of repeating soon.
I couldn't help but notice the painter flinch at the sight and suppress what felt like an urge to cry out. As I watched, she dabbed a small trace of darker paint beneath the bridge and wiped what might have been a stray tear off of her cheek, leaving yet another smudge.
A sudden beeping from my KI interrupted my revelries. Hastily, I bought my arm up to silence the shrill noise of the ancient device, silently cursing my lack of foresight. The screen indicated a notification from my colleague Edward, no doubt updating me on the results of our most recent experiment. The sound had lasted only for a second but I knew it was enough to break the painter's illusion of privacy. She shook her head as though she were clearing cobwebs from her mind and looked around, registering for the first time that she was not alone on the balcony.
I suddenly felt an acute sense of embarrassment, realising that I had been watching the artist unannounced for at least five minutes. The notion of me striking up a conversation with her had not even crossed my mind. Now that politeness required it of me I had no idea what to say. Speak, man. You know how. For goodness sake, you won't shut up when it's the right subject.
"A fascinating interpretation," I settled on, nodding towards the easel. Instantly, I cringed internally. The urge to throw myself into the lake was felt again, this time for entirely different reasons than before.
The painter smiled slightly, clearly unaware of what to make of my sudden appearance and struggling to bring herself back from whatever mental plane she had been previously occupying. She didn't seem to be bothered by my sudden intrusion, so for the moment I felt safe to press on.
'Oh no, please," I added hurriedly, "don't let me stop you". I was attempting to break any lingering tension my arrival may have caused. "I've always been fascinated by artists. Well, enviable, I should really say."
I grinned, the beginnings of common ground established. "That's the one! No, no, I leave all that to the people with talent. And basic hand-eye co-ordination. And who actually know what to do with things like beige. Is it actually a colour? I've always thought was just a brown that never really had its' heart in it."
I realised I was blithering. Trying to stall to make less awkward of a departure. But to my surprise, the painter broke into a laugh. It was a gentle laugh, one without scorn or malice.
There was something about the tone of that last word that piqued my interest. "It's the bridge, isn't it?' I asked. I instantly regretted the redundancy of the observation. Of course it's the bridge. Damn foolish thing to say.
This innocent question provoked an unexpected response from the artist. She seemed to stare straight ahead at her collection of painted strokes, as though she were looking beyond the canvas and into the very depths of the picture. "No", she said, and this time her voice was as soft as a leaf falling to rest upon grass.
There was a moment's silence, and I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. Had I said something wrong? Was there something obvious I had missed? Or was this the painter's way of wishing to be left alone? That was most likely it. I idly brushed my hands to the Relto book at my waist and prepared to make a quiet exit.
The question was sudden, almost hurried, as though the painter had been keeping it within her for some time and could hold it no longer. My hand moved away from my Relto just as she turned once again to face me.
It was true. Aside from the group of half a dozen or so explorers sitting on the top steps of the Great Stairs, and the tiny clustering of the more braver of the marker hunters congregating on one side of the bridge in the distance, the city was quiet. The Deep City was breathing more steadily than it had been in recent months, but it still remained a far cry from what it had once been barely two centuries ago.
As if my thoughts were being read, she continued. "People don't see what it used to be, how it ended. I thought maybe if I painted it... it would be easier to see. For me, at least."
At that moment the distant chattering from the direction of the bridge ceased. As we both watched, another explorer (this one clad in goggles and a pith helmet several sizes too big for him) took a flying leap from the edge of the bridge and plummeted downwards. But before his body could be dashed by the rocks below, he had vanished into the welcoming pages of his Relto, joining the ranks of the hundreds of other explorers who had succeeded in this more daring element of the calibration procedure.
I shook my head in disbelief, amazed at the lengths some of my fellow explorers would go to just to make Laxman sleep a little easier at night. But I was surprised by the response of the painter. She seemed to visibly sigh, and suddenly found the urge to add a dab of dark paint underneath the bridge.
"It makes it easier for me to look at somewhat," she replied cryptically. She turned away from the bridge and brought her gaze to mine. "Tell me, Mr...?"
"A Professor? How interesting." There was no trace of insincerity in her tone, at least none that I could detect. "Pleased to meet you, Professor Lavisham."
I adjusted my glasses and looked out over the balcony. Not for the first time, I put myself in the shoes of Atrus, answering the familiar question his grandmother Ti'ana often posed him.
"I see a bridge," I finally settled on. "Connecting the Hall of Kings with the pathway leading around to the Concert Hall. Broken in the middle, either due to decay or more likelier as a result of the tremors that occurred during the Fall. Structural stability is questionable, although the lash-up the DRC have going on seems to have held out so far. And I see people around on top," I added, eager to not miss any of the more obvious details. "Psyching up the next adrenaline junkie who fancies himself a lemming, more likely."
"The bridge, it's a grand construction, the only path to the Great Library. Thousands of people crossing it every day. They think nothing of it. It, like D'ni, is set in stone. When the earthquakes start, it is only natural that people flee for the Library, to the safety of the ages."
"But the gas... the gas is there too. It is crawling across the lake, a malevolent, seeking death. People are crowded on the bridge, pushing, shoving, the panic in the mob increasing... they can hear the cries of the dying as the poison cloud reaches the ferry terminal. The press of bodies on the bridge as people race for the Library grows."
"Another tremor comes. The bridge shakes, twists... it's not made to handle weight and torque. It begins to crumble. So, so many fall... and the poison cloud reaches up seeking tendrils to meet them... they die before they even hit the water. Some try to cling to the ruin, the gas reaches up and takes them, too. Others try to flee back, to the Hall of Kings, but it is too crowded..."
"There is a woman... she is just at the edge when the bridge cracks... she starts to fall, and in desperation, throws her little daughter upwards to the crowd. She is caught, held close; people are running for the library holding her... she is reaching back screaming for her mother."
She sunk to her knees, head resting against the railing, face in her hands. She seemed exhausted, as though she had been through the most horrific physical ordeal that could be subjected upon a person. In between her laboured breaths she softly whispered the words:
Throughout her story, I had found myself enraptured by the words that this mysterious young woman had conjured up. But now the powerful imagery of her words was gone, and I felt I should say or do something, anything to ease her obvious distress. Not for the first time, I wished I was the sort of person who knew the right thing to say at moments like these.
Echo opened her eyes and looked up at me. "No. No you don't, Julian." She was still clearly distressed, but her breathing had become more even, slowed to a less frantic pace.
"But I do!" he insisted. "So many historians look around at this ancient stone and see just that. Buildings, masonry, walkways, everything that time hasn't managed to tear down. It's certainly all I was able to see just by looking at that bridge. But you... you can see it all. People, events happening in real time, the ability to see history playing out, right before your eyes. Echo, if what you're telling me is true, you can see how the D'ni lived!"
"All I see right now is how they died. It's like watching a murder, over and over again," she sighed, forcing herself to stand before her painting again. She brushed her fingers against the now dried canvas. "And when people go jumping after that marker under the bridge... I see new bodies with the old."
The full emotional implications of what she was describing came rushing in. I had a hundred questions on my lips, but right then I knew all that mattered was being present in this moment with her.
"I can only begin to imagine what that must be like. To see the death of a society play out before your eyes. We know so much about how D'ni fell, the years of their kings, all of the big events. But there's more to it than that, more to here than that. History isn't just dates, or buildings, when eras began or ended. It's people, it's their lives, it's their drives and struggles, their pain, their passions. It's their dreams. And their stories."
"Take those people you saw. Any one of them. The mother, the daughter, the people in the crowd who caught her... each and every one of them has their own story to tell. It could be something trivial, something grand, something that changes the life of everyone or just something that changed them. But it's those stories that truly reveal how a person lived. The bad... but also, the good."
"It's not empty here, you know," she said finally. "Everything the D'ni ever was is here with us. I have to remember that. I shouldn't focus on the death, any more than people focusing on the empty. I just have to learn to see past this."
She swiped her brush beneath the painting as if to likewise underline her words. Leaning back, she considered it for several seconds, then finally nodded.
I immediately took on an expression of bewilderment. It was one which came naturally to me and found myself using a lot in recent years. "I... did something?"
I blew out my cheeks in mock exasperation. "Ms McKenzie, we are currently conversing many untold miles beneath the surface of the known world. We regularly use magic books as a means of getting around. This morning, I cooked up some mad science in a silo on an entirely different plane of existence to our own which, if all goes to plan, will somehow light up this entire cavern. At this point, your guess as to what passes for sane is as good as anyone's."
Her brow furrowed as what I considered the dramatic weight of my words failed to land in spectacular fashion. "Professor Lavisham, that was either insightfully profound, totally pretentious, or the biggest load of cheese this side of a Hallmark card."
Echo made a show of looking innocent. "Yes. Yes it was," she smiled. She blinked, and then seemed to cross her eyes. "I have paint on my nose, don't I?"
She rolled her eyes and began rubbing the smear with her finger. "Some first impression. "Hi, I'm Echo, and I paint with my nose and hallucinate dead people!"' At this point I was beyond keeping a straight face, and proceeded to double up in fits of hilarity.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing", I struggled to blurt out with gasping breaths. Echo was trying to look stern, but failed as equally and ended up laughing alongside me. I caught the eye of several explorers who were passing by and gave them a jaunty thumbs up by way of explanation. They nodded in the universal acknowledgement of you do you, you splendid human disasters and continued on their way.
Finally the two of us had calmed down enough to form complete sentences once. "Ms McKenzie", I said, "you are by far the most interesting person I've met down here in a long while."
"Why thank you. I think!" she snorted, wrinkling her nose at me. She sighed happily, and as she did so the faintest traces of a shadow returned to her face. "I... should go rest. I always feel a bit off after it happens."
"No, quite right, I need to be doing the same actually", I nodded as Echo knelt down to gather up her paints. "I've a little project of mine running back in my Relto with a colleague of mine. We've scavenged some of the boilers from the desert Eder in an attempt to distil our own wine. We've got the principle of the thing sorted, but there's one or two kinks need looking at."
"I think I'll wait for the finished product then" she smiled, packing away the last of her paints and collecting her canvas and easel. Finally she stood, and held out her hand. "Until then, Professor Lavisham."
The moment missed, at least for now, I turned to walk away. As I did my shoe came into contact with something on the ground causing it to slide away with a clatter. Bending down to retrieve the item, I held it in my gloved hand. It was the mysterious artist's paintbrush, abandoned where she had left it upon completing her work. I stared at it, then past it, peering into the distance at the bridge where another reckless explorer prepared to leap into the abyss below.
And this time, I tried to look beyond what was merely there in the physical and observe with eyes anew. The daily rhythm of a thousand breathing souls, each one of them living out their own personal stories. Some tragic, some darkly comic, those that barely registered and those that changed the flow and rhythm of everything in their path. All containing the potential to set a spark aflame in the hearts of those who were blessed to know of them.
What I have found so far is that this area is stable, but the surrounding canal is filled with something that acts like quicksand. On the other side there are cliffs with several deep valleys between the peaks.
It is not known who wrote this Age, but the D'ni had a station here. The inhabitants probably sold or exchanged the crops. I have seen ruins of the town hall, and I think the inhabitants had a vibrant cultural life, as can be seen in the inner room in the cave. It was probably the last big flood that made the D'ni leave.
There are very sparse notes about that event. I have seen floods here; they seem to come after heavy rains and the water rises quite calmly up above the quicksand and flow into the center island through the tunnel. Then, it slowly disappears over a couple of days. I suspect that the last severe flood washed away the soil and most of the vegetation on the surrounding hills, too. That was probably the cause of the damaged railway and tunnel on the center island. We have not seen any signs of the inhabitants.
There were small villages on the mainland with roads and paths between them. The only animals left are fishes, but bigger animals lived here -- some of which the inhabitants got meat and skins from. Probably both domesticated and wild species.
Weather and temperature:
Heavy rains and thunderstorms occur in periods when the temperature drops to about +10 degrees Celsius. It is most often cloudy with a temperature between +15 and +25 degrees Celsius.
Day length:
Same as Earth.
Compass directions:
Standing at the link-in point and looking toward the lanterns, one is facing North.
Flora and fauna:
Moysentrees, small flying insects, tiny grass-like vegetation, a variety of fishes, and birds. All of these need to be further examined and described.
The water in the well is clean and potable. The fish are edible.
April 2022
With the successful restoration of Tiam and Elonin, I found myself thinking about Moysenland Age. I need to properly survey that Age again -- I have not been there for years. Time to organize an expedition!]]></translation>
At the moment, I have set up my office and telescope monitoring equipment in the 'Classroom', with my satellite equipment in the foyer near the clock. I don't expect it to interfere with the clock mechanism, and thus far, it hasn't.
I think the little observation room next to the classroom might be a good examination room. It's private and quiet. It will just need a bit better lighting.
The light gardens are a nice place for people to wait and relax. I'm primarily considering a good location for the emergency OR as well as patient rooms, but I will probably put one of the townhouses to use as a hospital ward at some point.
However, Tati Masser and Fasyk Casing have since been in the Clinic at least three times since they went 'missing'. They seem to appear whenever I'm out on rounds or otherwise occupied in the Clinic, so I have yet to encounter them.
This evening, while I was walking down to the Pub, I met a gentleman, Logan. He's a newcomer to the Cavern, from the town my grandmother lives in, Sedona. We went over to the pub and had a couple of drinks and a nice, long conversation. Though he's been here longer than I have, he arrived in December and has been exploring Ages and following the Journey. He'd just recently finished the Journey and was trying to find out more about the most recent news that Echo McKenzie was seen recently, which I'd heard about but didn't see. I understand Dr. Lavisham spoke with her, however.
Unfortunately I couldn't provide Logan with any new information about that, but we talked quite a bit about the Cavern, recent events and our work. He was very friendly and I enjoyed meeting him.
So Logan stopped by the Clinic today. He was curious about where I was staying and I showed him around the Clinic. We stopped by the Radio Free D'ni show for a while as well but ended up spending most of our time wandering around Ae'gura, listening to the show on my phone.
He's kind of amazing! So interesting and funny! I haven't had a friend like him in a very long time and I didn't realize how much I missed just hanging out with someone and sharing D'ni.
We spent most of the evening in the Library, reading and sharing the information we've learned. He knows D'ni! Much better than I do! He was translating a book of poetry and it was just magical to hear his pronunciation of the words. It's almost as if he were D'ni in a past life.
Logan and I stole away to spend the evening sitting in Elonin, gazing at the Lake, sipping wine. A few other Explorers were looking around, trying to solve the puzzles, which was fun to watch.
While I was spending time with Logan, I got a KIMail from Mystlander. Such a nice message! She let me know she'd been to the Clinic, fixed a few things up for me and would be keeping an eye on it in the future. I should put her in contact with Dorrian, so they can coordinate.
Logan is incredibly knowledgeable about D'ni and its history. I continually am amazed by him. I hope I'm not getting a crush, I have no idea how he'd respond to such a thing. Ah well, it's just been pleasant having a friend to chat with, who seems just as interested in my life before I came here as he is in my Cavern history. He mentioned he'd read some of my dear grandmama's books and even attended one of her seminars in Sedona, which just touched my heart even more.
He spoke at length about living in Sedona, where I lived for a few years after I moved to the States with Grandmama. I'm a bit surprised we never encountered each other in town while I was there, since he lived there when I was staying with Grandmama. But, since I was homeschooled and he attended the local High School, we just never crossed paths. It's unfortunate, but well,
I heard from my friend Rose, today as well. She sent me a text asking all about the Cavern. She's definitely interested in visiting with her niece, who is very interested in the paranormal.
I think they'd both be stunned at what exists here below the desert floor of New Mexico, Heh. Though I know Rose and her niece have seen some pretty amazing things, I'm certain they've never seen anything like Ae'gura!
I'm hoping they might visit for the summer season, then they can meet Logan, Calum, Kelsei, Diranda, Jules and Carl. That would be so fun! I'd love to show a youngster around the Cavern!
Diranda told me her friends have been researching an Age that Calum found and they're hoping he might let them visit it eventually. Calum mentioned that this age has crystals with some very unusual properties, which apparently caught the attention of Alex, Jamie and Nyota. They're anxious to explore but Calum is being careful in who he's letting visit, which I definitely agree with. I'd like to explore that Age as well but I respect Calum's wishes in this case. I know he doesn't want anyone to get hurt and I agree.
Jules called me today about an injured man he'd found behind the Great Library. So once we got the poor fellow back to the Clinic, I set to work fixing him up. The poor boy was very confused and disoriented, but considering he'd taken a bit of a tumble, it's not surprising.
Unfortunately he'd taken a bit of a bump to the head and seems to have temporary amnesia. Dr. Lavisham is looking into trying to find out a bit more about him. All we know about him at this point is that his name is Benavud, which we got from his KI Device.
I suppose if his name sounds familiar to anyone in the Cavern, please let Dr. Lavisham, Kelsei, Carl or myself know, so we can make sure his family and/or friends are notified that he's in our care and is alright.
Well, after the tests came back, we found out Ben seems to not be human, exactly. Of course Carl went into this a bit more on his journal. People were excited about this and speculation went a bit wild. Unfortunately this week, poor Ben seems to have been too overwhelmed with things and I've made the decision to keep visitors away for a while until he feels better. So I asked my helpers, the young folks from ASU, to keep him company and keep an eye on him when I'm not in the Clinic.
Logan came by, since I've been so busy with Ben, we haven't had a lot of time to do much together lately. He was, of course, very curious about Ben, but I'm not letting anyone see him, not even Jules and Carl. I think Logan understands, he seemed to.
I think we're a couple? Alex says we are, anyway. She just grins whenever Logan comes by and Jamie winks. Logan is incredibly sweet, at any rate. I may offer him a place to stay here, since he mentioned his current neighborhood is a bit crowded with other Explorers.
He noticed something and pointed it out to me though. The 'mysterious visitors' continue to show up on our Clinic roster, yet nobody here has ever seen them. Not even Alex and Nyota, who are here pretty much all the time. This is beginning to concern Dorrian, who's been helping with security in the Clinic, along with Mysty. He and Jamie are setting up a watch during the night, just to keep everyone there safe. Their group has pretty much moved into the Clinic, which is great, because now I have people to keep me company as well as Ben!
Jamie is very interesting, he's been helping me with my satellite uplinks, since we still have occasional connectivity problems. He's also been discussing working with Dira's brother's Argon Labs group, and it sounds very much like Corey is going to be offering Jamie and his friends jobs!
So my friend, the sister of Cory Valerian, the fella who runs Argon, Diranda (what a fantastical name!) has been researching the Great Zero since she came back to the Cavern in February. She has her own online journal: The Great Zero Journals, but she doesn't update it much.
Probably because she keeps getting hurt climbing around the complex!
I swear, she's gotten Logan and I running over there constantly because she's fallen in the pool again, or tumbled off the outside of the complex into the rocks, or slipped and landed in the lake. Folks mention KI malfunctions from time to time and I just find myself wondering, 'What has Dira done now?' and expect to get another sheepish KI-mail from her, which of course, I do!
September 1, 2022
So, the last week, more or less, I've been out of the Cavern, looking for Logan. I got back yesterday in time for Town Hall, but wasn't able to stay long afterwards.
Logan's been 'busy' since Jules and I met Harlan a few weeks ago. Last week, I got a rushed KI mail from Logan, telling me he'd been exploring in 'the garden ages' and that he wanted me to come meet him. Unfortunately he didn't say which Age he'd gone to, so I spent the last few days exploring the Garden Ages I had access to. I finally found him in Eder Kemo, just wandering around the gardens, almost aimlessly.
Something is bothering him, but he's not been very forthcoming as to what it actually is. I'm frustrated but more than that, I'm concerned about him. He's just been so distracted and introspective, but he hasn't really told me much of anything, just talking about so many things, mostly from before he came to the Cavern.
I'll keep visiting him until he decides to come back home, but it's difficult, not seeing him every day.
On another note, Corey contacted me with a few photographs of a strange anomaly he's discovered and is curious about what it might be. So I put him in touch with my friend Rose in St. Clair, who has much more experience with this kind of deep space phenomenon. Hopefully we'll figure out what it is!
September 21, 2022
I finally got a chance to visit the new Age that’s been opened to Explorers, Eder Naybree, yesterday.
It’s so pretty and unusual! I’m looking forward to exploring it more as I have the time, but I’ve been rather busy with the Clinic and my research lately.
I didn’t expect to end up running a full-time Clinic when I retired to the Cavern! Not that I mind at all, I’m just much more busy than I thought I’d be. It makes sense, of course, I seem to be the only MD in-residence at the moment. Most of the other doctors here are PhDs, scientists, rather than just medical professionals.
Heh! Well, I’m glad to have had an opportunity to visit Naybree and take some photographs! I saw a few other Explorers while I was there, including Minasunda, who had found a pretty little spot on top of a gazebo.
There is quite a lot to see in Naybree and I recommend that folks pay it a visit as soon as they can!
September 24, 2022
So, it’s confirmed that my grandmum is visiting the Cavern in October. She’s driving out from Sedona and plans to stay at least a week if she can.
She’s interested in meeting Logan, as well as the other folks in the Cavern, and I suspect she’s mainly coming out to see what I’ve been getting up to since I retired.
I’ve told her quite a bit about the recent restoration and she’s been very enthusiastic about everything that’s been going on, so I’m thinking this may not be the only time she’s going to be visiting…
I got her okay to print a few entries from her original Cavern journals, so I’m working on transcribing them for this blog. She’s said she was interested in possibly adding copies to the Chiso Library, so other Explorers can learn about what she worked on while she was in residence.
She’s also told me she has a blog of her own (separate from her author site) that she had up back in the early days, and she’s considering getting it back online publicly, but she’s been busy with finishing a manuscript as well as doing some translations for Corey at Argon Labs.
I’m looking forward to seeing her and I hope she enjoys her visit down here!
October 7, 2022
Grandmum is here! She came in late this evening, and we spent most of the night drinking tea and chatting.
She's interested in meeting Logan, of course, but he wasn't available this evening.
October 9, 2022
Grandmama met Logan today. She seemed to like him fine, but I suspect there's more that she's not telling me.
Logan, for his part, has seemed very quiet and shy since he came back from the Garden, tired, almost. He keeps to himself much more often, and it makes me somewhat concerned.
I don't know, but I'm thinking things have changed with him, somehow. He still won't talk much about things.
October 26, 2022
Grandmum went home a week ago and I've been busy working on making first aid kits and distributing them to keep my mind occupied.
Logan has been busy a lot lately, much more since he met Grandmama.
I might try to go topside and visit Sedona this November. Grandmama invited both of us to her home for the holidays. I just find myself worrying about Logan and I am beginning to wonder...
Ah well...
Perhaps Christmas in Sedona is what I need.]]></translation>
Figured I ought to start a proper field work journal instead of haphazardly shoving things into journals unrelated to the main work of the ages in question. I'm starting to feel like Sharper here with all these journals bleeding into eachother.
Geeze, I really am Light-bound for all that I write. How've I gotten so close to filling the Cathedral's book already? Gotta reserve space for the actually important work and none of the background stuff.
ANYWAYS. Yay. New Journal for Field Reports And stuff. And STUFF. Hah. Oh man. Why did I even start another journal for? Oh. Right. All the pages of ranting about CLOCKS in the Cathedral journal. That. AND. Tiam. The next New Age on the docket for inclusion next. I haven't been there once yet.
BUT. I'm being prepared. Gonna make my notes here for reporting and such. Once I get a chance to get out there and visit the place. YEP.
Tiam is, uh. Quite sandy and bright on first impression. I can't tell if it's the sun or the glare. Interesting initial area, structural foundations look well... locked door and a puzzle? Fascinating! Handy link back to Chiso right at the get go. Benches! Very nice.
Past the first door, dinner time now, so I'll return later.
---
Little eggy plant things! How cute.
It always catches me off guard when I see my own stamp plastered somewhere. End of a book, And here it is! It's weird. I see it and go, "I didn't put that here!" But there it is. Literally left my mark in this age before I even visited it. What a paradox.
Found a CD player! Very Retro.
Well, that's a blinding surprise.
This is a perplexing puzzle. I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to get past it.
Okay, that one door sensor needs fixing, it's staying open when it shouldn't, and closing in my face when it should be staying open. I think everything else is fairly solid. Not bad, not bad at all.
Korov'ev sent me some vases to refurbish. Well. Alright.
4/25/21
I THOUGHT those vases were a little weird. They may have been submitted as part of a contest by the DRC. Ugh. Nope. I'm leaving 'em be. No touchy and no replacey!!!
Obsessive Tier changes: actually clear the debris in the entry path as well
The rest of Ae'gura is structurally clear as far as foot traffic is concerned. The remaining debris piles are just too large to do anything with in any reasonable span of time.
Meanwhile: KI errors refuse to connect to the Lattice for a vast majority of the population right now. Not Good.
Only the time value matches an exact bake time. With 10 notches for about an hour's worth of surface time (Which in and of itself is weird for D'ni time keeping devices), he suggests it's possible 'power' and 'temperature' are arrays rather than strictly settings on a linear scale. Going to need to talk with Mary Sue and see if she has any thoughts on the matter. Sent her a KI Mail. I have a feeling Time and Temperature remain scales of 0-to-50 but Power/Potency is the curious one.
Of COURSE the Clocks would haunt us. Or maybe, whatever's been going wrong with the hoods is striking out more? UGH. Idk. Fantastic timing either way. SIGHS. Why couldn't this release go smoothly? Why Nexus-to-Hood issues NOW of all times?
Adam seems to have found the cause of the Hood Link Issues, let's hope we can get it pushed to the Nexus in the morning.
Hazado's taken over the charge on getting the Gahreesen Wall working, it seems. It seems like Dr. Blom left at some point before I joined up with the group. I'd been wondering, but never asked. Just being polite, I still won't.
Still, I guess the Wall is getting put to working order. Should be fun to test, I guess.
5/18/21
Hazado's taken to looking into the Watcher's Pub Imager table. Lots more talk about that danged locked door, too.
7/5/21
Well, this book's sat abandoned until now. Might as well repurpose it for Descent Work, such as it is. Looks like we're in the initial stages of surveying everything we have to work with, as it were. This might take a while. In the meantime, there's maintenance work to be done on elevators and other moving objects- part of which involves the repeated process of using these items over and over and noting any bad behaviors.
Folks, please. We're just doing our jobs when we talk about being safe. The Shaft doesn't have any railing. Safety is paramount here. I don't want another Phil incident! Wear your Relto Books when exploring the Shaft!
Last night: Did testing with Gahreesen gear wall and Ahnonay Chair. Everything working as it should be on both-- a first for the chair, given its rickety nature. Glad to see we're finally getting it fixed. Should make folks happy.
I've offered my services in surveying work to Patrick once the dust settles on this family stuff and Mysterium. Gotta keep these things safe. Can't just go rushing in. Safety is Paramount. I sound like the DRC- a broken record. I legit wrote that the other day.
After a few weeks of trying to rest after the, uh, rather disastrous nonsense that was my wifi boost experiment. (Thank you for the help keeping me sane, Kelsei!) Well. It's time to dive into another field dive for a new area. It's called "The Loft" and it's supposedly over-looking a hood somewhere in the Cavern. That's all I know going into this. Time to link.
---
It's Definitely D'ni alright. A very stained glassy roof hangs above me. Someone's set up a bunch of bright spotlights for visibility while we work, hard to say how much light's coming through the ceiling just yet.
Lots of fountains, hallways... not quite sure where to go just yet.
Of course someone's left that door locked. Okay, not going that way...
Noisy buttons! No clue what these do. Pretty designs, though.
Well now THIS is a ROOM! Is that a replica of Sharper's hat on a shelf over there? I think it is!
Music seems to be the name of the game here. I could see some fancy parties being held here. Karaoke even?
A phonograph/record player! That's adorable. Someone's definitely brought in a lot of retro stuff here.
Hmm, the noises through this door sound familiar. Can't find my way through it, though. Dang D'ni locks.
Hazado and Scharminius have joined me here. We're taking a group examination of the place...
Surface errands to run now. Bluh.
<pb>8/18/21
Apparently "Loft" is just a codename. According to Dulcamara, who worked on this place before passing it over to Ametist to bring it over the finish line, this 'loft' is a pair of homes separated by a garden area, and had this to say about the naming:
"House in D'ni is tomahn, and home is tomahna. There is no word for garden, although garden Ages are often given the prefix "eder", which means rest.
The word "loft" in English implies an elevated sleeping area over a living space. In D'ni, elevated is elonahl. Elevated homes would be Tomahnatee Elonahl, since the adjective follows the noun.
Or you could just call it 'Elevated,' which would be a passive participle and would be Elonin."
So, the place is Elonin.
---
Descent is still in Phase One. Patrick's had me check on some of the rugs near the elevator platform. You'd think he was patronizing me with such a menial task as ensuring something is still secured but- Eh. Kelsei and I both agree it's probably in my best interests to start small.
I need to get back to work on the Island but, I'm taking it cautiously after that sleepwalking incident. Poor Jules looked terrified for me when I told him about it today. I wonder why?
Managed to catch Serene during one of its errant snow flurries. They're getting more common now, evidently. You'd almost think they were nonexistent before now, but one out of three visits, and I caught it now. I suspect soon that'll be two out of every three visits, and then every visit period.
The fireflies also chose to make an appearance, too. I honestly didn't know there were fireflies here. I never saw them during my earlier visits, all those many years ago when Andy first released the age. Did something change? ...Actually, come to think of it, was that hut even here originally?
The fireflies're rather harmonious sounding- a tad electricish too. I avoided touching them lest I wind up like those poor scientists in that one Stargate episode.
Haz's fix for the Great Zero Marker Machines is in for first round testing, apparently. Need to get someone in to help test that at some point.
9/4/21
That snow storm i got caught in really messing with me. I might have to skip the AGM for sure. Patrick says we're nearing the benchmark for Phase 1 on Descent, though, so that's good.
The Lattice has been acting up something fierce lately. Yesterday the KI network suffered repeated Net-2 disconnect errors, about 5 times in an hour or so. How frustrating for everyone. Might be related to the hood population errors going about too. We've done all we can on the KI-Side Client Code for that. Everything else is in the Lattice Server and thus in the DRC's hands still.
Personally, I'd say we need more folks who know how to deal with the back-end server stuff, but the DRC aren't training anyone new for it as far as I'm aware. I mean, I can understand that to some degree. Keep things in house. But you'd think they'd atleast have more than one contact point for us on this thing!
What happens when he retires? Who's trained to take over for this? It's not that I'd volunteer for it anyways, even if they were offering to train anyone from our group. Too much weight on one person's shoulders, that. And I've been burned by that weight before. These concerns weigh heavy on my mind a lot of the time.
9/6/21
After some trial and error issues with the access point to Descent not working this morning, I've arrived at the Caldera, and making my way down through for some Initial Phase One checks of Descent.
Mirphak's joined me for this run. Patrick's running late.
Elevators are presently non-functioning, I'll be using my camera drone to survey the elevator rungs for damage. Or I would be... If I remembered to charge the battery first, that is. Later, then, I guess.
Linking to midpoint of shaft next. Rest area seems as secure as it always does. Glad to see Patrick's got mind to fix the ramp spirals where they've broken, though.
---
After some initial safety concerns with the temporary rampway fixes, we're going at it solo for the moment. No more than one person on the things at a time.
Lift mechanisms for the grand floor seem to be malfunctioning. Can't get them to budge. I swear the lift had to be working earlier for one of these tunnel doors to be opened.
Speaking of that tunnel, found a ladder down into the airvent systems, control mechanisms seem jammed into 'on' so atleast we've got air flow going, but still, something's not functioning right. Probably a power surge due to all the work. I noticed one of the hallway lights flickering. Can't really progress further than this now, unfortunately.
Still, initial checks for everything looks good, and I'm giving my stamp of approval, not that it means much. I'm not project lead, after all. Hah! And what a relief that is. I can't imagine all the stress going through Patrick's mind right now.
---
Proper walk down of path, surveying path stability next.
3 rings down- slight dip in pathway. Trip hazard?
About 8 rings down now, it's surreal to be walking all this way and still barely made any progress.
Patrick called me braver than him for even attempting this, hah!
Some mild debris on track about 9-10 rings down, near elevator struts. Same, next row. Ditto next row...
Shining a flashlight and Peering over edge, looks like there's a lot of debris that's piled up near the struts of the elevators for the next several rows down, actually. Might explain why the first lift isn't working.
I've lost count of the loops. I'm so far down now I can barely see the top of the shaft.
It's... surreal walking this path now. Here I am, walking this path that Ti'ana walked. The path that Gehn and Atrus walked. Did Yeesha walk this path downwards?
I am water, seeking the roots, flowing downwards, always downwards...
hark! i see an elevator's glow! beams of light spear through the fog below!
...And I'm nowhere near the danged thing yet. I'm not even going to *count* the rings I have left to go.
Eight rings above the mid-way rest stop. Hoo, what a journey so far. Not done yet.
This climb is intense, and I'm near the end now. It's... man. When they say this whole trek is a two day journey I'd believe it after this hike down. Time to resume my descent.
I stand now at the very bottom of the Great Shaft, and despite being here earlier today (Yesterday?) via linking... It's a difference having walked all this way down.
I stand now at the bottom of a massive spiral of stone and air, having descended from the surface on nothing but my own two feet. I can't progress further on foot right now. I don't even know what time it is, or day. I've spent so much time descending to this point, and now I want nothing more than to climb into bed and rest.
The path seems stable, other than the bits and pieces I've forwarded to Patrick, who went to bed at one point. This is a Journey. I can't describe how surreal it is to have done this. To have walked from the Surface to D'ni, even in part, and found myself somewhere grand and majestic...
The floor is so shiny, I can see myself in its reflection and I... do I even recognize my own reflection? The me that stares back seems so different from the me that begun this climb, and yet here I am.
Descent. There's so much more to this journey that I've yet to do, yet to see, yet to experience and yet being here. Being Here. Having DONE this first step among many...
I know I am not the first to have walked this path. The D'ni, Aitrus, Anna, Gehn, Atrus, Yeesha...
Loftin, Elias, and Watson... the DRC... Who knows how many other Explorers over the years? And yet I feel that I am still experiencing this for the first time. This path, this journey, this...
This Spiral, yet unwalked by so many, yet seen by just as many, if not many more... Descent.
Watson wrote about a leap of faith, but... this? This experience? This path this journey this--
This goes beyond a leap of faith into the unknown. This is boldly stepping foot after foot into the dark, hinging hopes on there being something in front of you. For so long you can peer down and not yet see the bottom, and yet once you get there- ONCE YOU GET THERE...
This goes beyond the Books. Beyond Linking. Did the D'ni have any idea of what kind of portal they created here?
9/7/21
Got my Camera Drone working, went in for some survey views of various things at a closeup distance. I found my way through a couple of the back node doors and found a river, plus a blown out bridge.
Sent my drone out for a brief explore and the thing's night-vision camera went out of whack, blasting everything with an undetailed white haze. I almost crashed it into some kind of rock face. Gave it a recall, not going to try that again any time soon.
Troubleshooting Networking issues today. Hoping we can get to the bottom of the Net2 disconnects.
---
That's no real progress beyond having a few obscure code errors to sort through now. Break time for now.
Ugh, having to go back over everything we DID in the last few months is such a headache, especially when it's such an off-chance variable that anything we did to the user-end KI operations is even responsible for it. Yet, there's a significant enough chance we're responsible for our own frustrations to warrant it anyways.
Better to be safe than sorry.
9/8/21
We've sorted out the Descent access issues, but the accursed Net2s are still plaguing us. How annoying. Suggested a fix to Patrick about how to best repair the broken sections of path near the Rest Area. Will see if it works out.
Had a strange bug with the internal network KIs for a bit- it was, ah... It was replacing every Space Character with the first letter of the line above it. KI looked bizarre for sure.
Danged things even shifted text in real time as you messed with the interface. Using a glitched KI even made the Nexus display weird, so "Tokotah Alley" was "TokotahTAlley" for example.
My personal favorite was "PallacePAlcove" hahah!
It's fixed now, and was hilarious while it lasted. While I'm glad we caught it long before it leaked out into the general KI network, it certainly made for an entertaining evening while we working on other things.
Ehren and I did an inspection on the controls for some of the door mechanisms and the ventilation systems. Was a good break after an evening of trying to sort out network errors, at any rate.
Ehren knows his work when it comes to this Descent project. He's worked on D'ni tech stuff off and on, for a while now, so he's got a decent grasp of the machinery- better than I do, atleast.
9/10/21
Spent a good portion of the evening high detail surveying the tunnel between the Caldera and the start of the Shaft. Passed my efforts along to Patrick for review.
9/12/21
Spent a good chunk of today testing Heek Tables and building a model kit. Now to check on some Descent Things.
Glorious! Patrick's gotten the oddities with the first fan node door sorted out! Works just fine now. Some path cleanup was done, too. Looks good.
9/13/21
Had some interesting interactions with the lake light this morning during the usual morning tests. Could be something, probably nothing. Needs further testing.
It all comes back to the Overpop'd heek-Hoods, in the end. Chogon's dove through the Lattice server Backend, and we've dove through the KI client front end... In the end, this is the only conclusion that seems to make sense. And so we're testing some fixes, and...
If things go well, we push it live this week or next. Then comes the unenviable task of shoving people out of the giant overpop'd hoods. Once again, I apologize, Mary Sue. I really hoped it didn't come to this.
I'm going to end up stress building another model at this rate. Hahaha. Oh boy.
hopefully we can stop the DRC hoods from auto growing larger going forwards
also, apologies for the sloppy handwriting- hungry and waiting on dinner.
---
Patrick's wanting to get a group photo op in Descent taken at some point. Well, that'll be fun, I guess. Saturday, huh?
9/16/21
No luck in collecting light samples from yesterday or this morning. Frustrating. It looks like the new hood sorting fix took properly though. That should buy us some time.
Group photo's been postponed. Did several hours of testing though. Dinner time now.
9/20/21
More testing, trying to hunt down the Net2s. Not much luck, got some horrifying ideas as to the causes though.
Some polish work on Descent done- someone suggested we throw up some tarp nets around the shaft for safety reasons... Did a test. And Said tarps are just getting folks caught in them. Wind blows slightly and woosh!- trapped! We're taking those down asap.
Some doors are working better now, and things are looking snazzy. Patrick says we're nearing the end of Phase 1. That's good. Now to just try and figure out what's going wrong with the KI network...
Hrm, interesting. Seems we should have had a Net2, but the KI system didn't push the bootoff notif? Weird. Marker Games? We're floating potentially disabling them for a while just to see what happens.... Dinner time now.
Update on the Serene Journal Sitch. It Looks like the *actual* Serene Commentary Book was left in a place called Neolbah, another of Andy's work projects. A case of mistaken cover identity. Looks like we'll be swapping them out after giving it a proper review to ensure, well...
To Ensure we didn't mistake yet ANOTHER book for the Serene Commentary that should have been there. This is why we need to mark covers differently. At this reminder, I'm going to poke Patrick again about the Heritage Doc's and their... Sameness. LOL.
At any rate, I hope this'll appease vid's repeated reminders about the present journal. We really should have caught that before it hit the public eye. Oh well. Hopefully nobody'll complain at a discrete swap.
Reviewed the journal text. At first I was confused, though I understood why this Journal was in Neolbah and not Serene, originally. The bit about the Shaft was interesting, but... not related? And then it got to the part about Serene. And Oh. Oh, Chezahcen, what did that fool do?
Not Andy. Discovering Serene was entirely his own original work is... well, it's astounding. Except then someone modified the book. Serene got Link Shifted by someone else modifying the book. Oh, Andy. I can only imagine the hurt you felt on that discovery.
Serene feels wrong. Knowing what I know now. The stone under my feet. The trees hanging around... the 'temple' with the light... There's no fresh snow at the moment. Good for me, I guess, but...
This isn't the Original Serene. Did I *EVER* See the Original Serene? ... I don't know if I ever have.
Veelay is quiet, and tranquil in a way Serene isn't right now. Jules is hammering to try and get some forums set up. I just... Bluh. My stomach churns. Between the Net2s in the KI network (Adam has some ideas he's investigating privately) and now discovering this? To think about how we look at an Age could change just because someone grabbed the wrong commentary journal...
If I ever meet this Quin guy, I... I don't know what I'll do. I need to talk with Patrick.
---
Beginning another trek down the shaft.
Cleanup crews did their job and cleared off the debris from the cluttered areas along the rail section, very excellent. Everything seems in order to me, beyond a few partially disassembled elevator mechanisms. Works in Progress! Not Done Not Done Not Done!
---
Had a Net2 while talking with Aurelias in Watchers about current situations. Lovely. Adam's working on trying to devise a way to test a data pull theory on the Net2s. Handshake codes are the worst things to write, though. Stupid magic incantations.
9/27/21
Got a call while examining Descent to help test the networking. Adam has an idea he wants to test.
Apparently we've had someone sneaking into Descent while using the official KI Network. Damn it. During Pod's Relaxing Session, I got a notification that this sneak was in Descent on the Public Network and went to pull him out.
There's a REASON we use Internal Network KIs for this stuff! The public system isn't CONFIGURED for people to access these areas yet FOR A REASON! WHAT A FOOL! Is there any telling how long he's been poking around behind the scenes?
---
Messaged Patrick, checked with Adam... This guy was visiting a bunch of unreleased, unworked on areas. Places we've surveyed, but not really touched any... Kahlo, "Jellyfish," Todelmer... Among the worst offenders: Rebek and Noloben. The Disrespect!! The- The-
We haven't touched those areas for a MULTITUDE of reasons and this guy went and... GOD. The sheer AUDACITY. This goes beyond Yeesha giving us access to areas the DRC had already vetted or restored. This goes beyond--
This is-- By Chezahcen, this fool could have gotten himself killed or worse.
I'm not sure what to make of this situation yet. I'm still processing it. I find myself more and more every day in the shoes of the DRC before us. Not just in terms of the locations, but... I've even notif'd the DRC rep for KI Network management on their end of things. I feel like a Honest To God ResEng. I just don't have the hat.
I was confused by "Jellyfish" as an age designation and looked it up. Some small metal platform at sea with cannons. Apparently, it's some kind of shooting gallery for the Jellyfish native to the age. Fun. Not sure we'll ever release that, but fun. Going to have to do a Deep Dive and see what lore the DRC have stashed away...
Well, we pushed the Fix for the Net2s. Fingers crossed to see if it works. Meanwhile, Adam, Briggs, Patrick, and a few others are talking football on Discord. Get Sharper in the mix and we'd have a real 'fun' time LOL.
KI network rebooted. Just in time for Fil Live in GoMePub. Time to see how things hold up. STRESS TEST TIME!
---
Okay, so, Good News. Our fix took out a very trivially easy way to crash the KI Lattice system. Bad News, our fix did not fix the cause of the Net 2s.
Found some potential damage to the wall above the bottom of the spiral path. Only really obvious from above, really. Requesting it gets a second look at. Path looks good otherwise, I think, beyond some mild toe-stubs and tripping hazards we should clean up.
Still no work on the temporary walkways, either, but we're avoiding them for now, linking instead where necessary. Photo op this Saturday after AGM. Already got my hardhat on.
In Net2 news, we've got more debuggers on the thing, and we're catching what seems to be the kill trigger flag. WHY our KIs are trying to send data requests well over the size their requests should be formatted in, I don't know.
10/2/21
Adam and I are doing some late night testing before the AGM tomorrow. Or rather, today. It's now Saturday, midnight. I'm getting some lake samples atleast while I'm here. Fortunately nobody else around right now.
You can tell I'm exhausted by how I'm shouting out at the lake. No new light samples, alas. I am so going to regret this late night in the morning, even if we do manage a crash.
"No? How dare you say No! ERROR? I ACCEPT NO ERROR!!" *KI client pouts*
...Well, we brought down the KI Server but that was decidedly NOT a Net2. IDK what the heck that was. Filing it under "We broke it, but it wasn't what we were after." Calling it a night now. Will come back at it later with maybe fresh eyes.
10/5/21
KI Update went live this morning. Gave Descent a quick survey this afternoon. Nothing new worth reporting. I need to give it a more thorough checkover later today.
Ran into Jules' friend Ed Kensington-James tonight by sheer accident in one of the DRC hoods when I went to check in on the nightly gathering. First time meeting the guy. Good to finally have a face to the name! Jules has talked a lot about him to me in private. Jules has told me Ed's a D'ni Translator, of some talent. I'd imagine he and Kelsei would get along well.
In other news, today's update to the KI systems seems to have stabilized things finally. Made it through a Relaxation Session without issue. If this holds up through the week to the weekend, I think we've likely got the Network issues squashed.
Slept in late again after a long day yesterday. Helped a 'mrjmzack' with his Path of the Shell completion this morning. Always fun to get that moving smoothly. Thinking I'll work on the Pod 12 area more this afternoon, if I can find the time...
Or not. Calls for reviews of Tiam and Elonin just came in. Guess I'll take some time there today too.
Tiam's good as far as I can tell. Though, that CD player may need replacing its batteries. Onto Elonin next. Work lamps are gone. It's much nicer in here, lighting wise.
...Can't recall how to open this danged door.
Had to remake my notes, lost them over a system reset at some point. Oh well. Got things open again now. Place seems stable, I can't see much issue except some of the lights seem to shine a bit too brightly in places. Place seems good otherwise.
Briggs was getting lake light samples down at the docks this morning when he fished out a soaked-through Relto Book. Busted, through and through. Bit rotten, too. Poor thing. I hope we don't have some poor unfortunate Explorer floating out in the lake somewhere.
Trial runs on the Kirel Audio System running now. Some slight issues to sort out but I think it's getting there. Good to hear Watson's voice again, though. Occasional echoing issue while it plays, though. Infrequent, but slightly annoying. Hazado's already got an idea to fix it.
Lost my Elonin notes Again. Bluh. I'm NOT remaking them again.
---
The thought is bugging me more about that Relto Book. We should probably get a search party together and scour the lake for any signs of tragedy.
Got a couple of volunteers together so far. Hannah/Annacat and Tommy Butler/DecafToaster.
10/20/21
Briggs is joining us on the search. I've got a few others from the Restoration crews too. Couldn't get hold of one guy who'd been taking a recent interest in the Lake Light project, though.
Wayne Todd. I asked some of his friends and apparently he said he was going on a camping trip? Probably safe on the surface, in that case. Going out on the lake now...
---
Just got a message from Kelsei... Right. I'd forgotten we were supposed to hang out today. Sorry, Kels.
mrjmzack has offered to join us. i've sent the requisite info.
Several hours out now, not finding much of anything. My group has stopped at the Cathedral island for a lunch break. Hoping the others have had more luck so far. Fil Live soon... shame I'm going to miss it this week. Ah well.
---
Well, that's disheartening. Found an old D'ni boat crashed up on some rocks, crewed by Skeletons. Survey looks like some kind of passenger ship, probably was ferrying folks somewhere during the Fall. Yikes, what a way to go.
---
Light levels out here are starting to dim. I'm advising the others to turn back now. I'm calling it a night. Will get back to the search tomorrow.
10/21/21
The Relto book's dried up enough Briggs took a look at its pages. To quote:
Not like by an alligator or something, more like papers that got caught in the copier and torn up. The book isn't working, at least not that I can tell."
That's an ominous sign to say the least.
Talk with Gondar, Briggs, and Inunah on the discord brought up the idea that it might've suffered an industry accident of some kind. Thus, I'll be scheduling the search for the Industrial areas tomorrow, aiming near the silo, just to be cautious.
10/22/21
Wayne. Damn it, man. Tell folks when your camping trips are in the CAVERN and not the Surface. Turns out the guy went to some pumping station and climbed around in some machinery, lost his Relto to the gears, and had it dumped into the lake...
And then didn't contact anyone about it. Beyond the name being similar, he reminds me a bit of my Grandpa. Still, beyond that, it seems like we may have a lead on some lakeside machinery we need to investigate. More projects upon projects.
I must just be seeing Ghosts. Wayne returned this afternoon. Beyond the name, even his face reminded me a little of my Grandpa. Man legit had no clue his Relto had washed up on shore, though. Had to ferry him to the Cleft to see Zandi.
Kelsei went running around, and saw a nice view out of K'veer on the lake tonight. Shared it with me. The Lake seems very healthy from some angles right now at some times of day. Other views are very... not so bright.
We're getting there, though. That's for sure. Just taking a while for the algae to synch up with itself.
An announcement was just posted regarding something J.D. Barnes is putting together.
Message reads:
"Our Lore Team has been hard at work combing through the DRC's archives for new historical information to share with the explorer community.
Join J.D. Barnes and former ResEng G. Buddell in the Cavern for the first Deep City Lecture! Sun, Nov 7 at 3 PM KI Time (10 PM UTC)!"
I'm going to have to reshuffle my schedule around. There'll be a stream on the Guild of Archivists twitch page, and a live chat on CyanChat discord too, evidently. Event's to be held in Watchers Pub, it seems.
Had a dream of the cavern with the lake at a very bright light value, and was stunned.
Can only hope it holds out in reality when it gets that bright.
11/17/21
Looks like we just passed the vote to move Tiam into Phase 5 testing. CONGRATS to Ametist for her first P5 area! Here's hoping Elonin follows suit soon.
In other news, apparently we had a spike in heavy metal content in the lake water today. I might need to visit the Overflow station... Not today though, maybe not even this week or weekend. Bluh. Got too much on my plate right now.
11/19/21
Confirmed metal spike. Gonna have to take a trip to the facility on Monday.
Serene Journal swap out approved, and it's ready to go out with the book shuffle in Chiso. Figured we might as well get that swapped out all at once. Saves the trouble.
A good cap to a busy couple of days. Spent time with cousin and her boyfriend when they came to visit. Cheap flights are nice! I certainly don't mind making the effort to go get them should things go for-
Swapped out the Serene Journal the other day along with the rest of the Chiso Shelves Restructuring. Been busy with so many other things in the mean time. Spoke with Patrick regarding something near a Lava Chamber he found- a machine that's similar to ones in the Overflow Station. Looks maintainer-suit-equipment-y, like Gahreesen's wall tubes. Could be related- need to get power working in both cases though, I think.
Oh, there was also another Deep City Lecture on the D'ni language on Wednesday. Kelsei says that was fun. Got so much to do today. And tomorrow- Tiam releases tomorrow. And the rest of this week/month/year. I'm exhausted and tired and it's only 10:06 A.M. right now.
I wanna go back to bed. Can I go back to bed please?
I just got back from an evening of testing the Gahreesen Wall with Scharm, CJ, Catherwood, and Hazado. Still some major issues with the suit applicator mechanisms- I got stuck in an applicator loop at one point, but HOO. BOY. I'm so giddy. It's like I'm a kid again!
Do you know how many years it's been since I climbed on this thing last? Easily 18! Eighteen years, and we're getting the thing working again. Patrick's Voice Over work is great, though, the speakers are having issues with playing multiple lines at once. Hazado's working on it.
No telling on estimates on when it'll be ready, but I'll have something to tease at tomorrow's AGM, I think! Beyond that, it seems Kelsei's interest in Eder Naybree is nearly contagious. Folks in the Restoration Group keep asking about it with every picture I share among the crews. People want to see it, and honestly, I can't blame them. It's a very beautiful Garden Age.
Overgrown, but beautiful. I think it shouldn't take too much work to push over the finish line- just a lot of heavy trimming of the 'hedges' as it were, and a fix pass of the stone pathways... Ah, regardless. I'm happy tonight. Hopefully with this brought back into play we'll start seeing Wall Climbing Competitions like the Door Run competitions! Oh, that'll be a BLAST! :D
I know the Wall has worked in some limited, private capacity- folks with TOC Network KI's were running private Gahreesen Wall uses for years, and I believe that a majority of the work we're running on is based on that work- but to bring this thing to a full, public use after all this time...
Feels like we're coming full circle again. Harta Choylahnaytahv, Literally "Complete Cycle" in D'ni, or "Anniversary" as an idiom. Honestly, I feel like 2022 is off to a good start here in the Cavern... Now if only my Surface Life were as peaceful.
Sometimes I have to wonder what Patrick is thinking. Announcing potential restorations like this... Todelmer, Tahgira, Laki? Sure, fine. Okay. NOLOBEN? Noloben! Freaking NOLOBEN!? We've been avoiding them for a reason but initial exploration is-
For emphasis' sake: Tahgira is a frozen iceball- even more so than the DRC records showed it being back in the early 2000s. As long as we emphasize that for explorers going in- Okay. Cool. Fine. WHATEVER. Go ahead and freeze your faces off if you don't want to heed our warnings.
I just. I still can't get over the idea of us ever going to Noloben. Atleast Patrick's taking initial exploration seriously- maintainer suits and all that- but still.
STILL. Noloben. I can't. I'm emphasizing how this is a bad idea- Look! No! I'm not denying Noloben is a sound place to visit in terms of D'ni's dirty dark deeds of darkness- but--! BUT!!!
Noloben. I just. NOLOBEN. It's such a bad idea. It's- I can't. I just. I want folks to hear me out on this. Sharper shot a Bahro there. Esher tortured Bahro there. A Bahro killed Wheely SHOUTING THE AGE'S NAME. This- This goes beyond historical relevance! That Age is DANGEROUS! That is TABOO GROUND! To go to that Age is like- It's-- IT's like walking over your own grave and feeling it.
Chezahcen damn it- please spare us from more fools! After that last idiot went to the Age without anyone of us KNOWING. I- No! This is BAD! Bad bad bad! I need to talk with Patrick about this.
More Gahreesen Wall testing. Maint. Nexus Elevators're still not working right. Freaking things keep malfunctioning. Last test it rose up, and got stuck there, so the next person who linked in got stuck underneath it. *lovely* Time to call it a night.
Successful 1v1 run. We've gotten the elevators working. Now to hope that a 2v2 or a 2+v2+ works. Gahreesen Wall is a GO GO GO! :D
1/25/22
Zaroth, Briggs, Hazado, Catherwood, and I ran a couple tests on the Wall. Briggs got stuck in the suit machine when it jammed up applying the suit to him. As a result, the suit got stuck on him and didn't get released when we completed the first wall Maze. In addition to various issues with the damned suit machines malfunctioning. He still had it stuck on him after we cleared a second round, too.
Some jammed mechanism or something. Prying him out of that suit was an interesting experience to say the least. Though, my ears doth protest over having the same line from Patrick repeating on end despite it only supposed to fire off once. Stupid Chute mechanisms kept looping on themselves. Ah well. We'll get it sorted out.
Well, I'm about 30$ poorer, but atleast I'm not squished inside of a Maintainer Helmet. We managed to replicate how poor Briggs kept getting caught in his Maintainer Suit tonight, and... then everyone left before I got out of it. Sooo...
I went to ask Kelsei for help and decided, poorly, at the last minute to prank her by pretending to be a ghost. She shrieked very loudly and splashed me with coffee.
I'll admit it readily, I deserved it. And she rightly refused to help me get the helmet off until I bought her some cookies and coffee. Why the hell ground coffee costs 25$ or more, I don't know. I'm not a coffee drinker. Seems stupid expensive if you ask me.
Briggs was asking questions about trolling in a tournament setting and Hazado came up with the idea to just reconfigure the wall FOR a Tournament mode. We'll see if that goes anywhere.
Well, that's a bust. Hazado updated the old Audio files Patrick had done for the previous version of the Wall code- he'd said something about having a better microphone this time around- and it seems the Wall doesn't like something with the line replacements, or maybe the extra lines, IDK.
All I know is, the whole system crashed when we both confirmed a game. Twice. Once with me first, Haz second, then, after a reboot, once with Haz first, me second. Speakers started to utter the line and then everything goes kablewy! Fantastic. I swear I heard someone else's voice garbled briefly over Patrick's New Wall Game announcement too, that second time.
More strange happenings in Gahreesen. Power fluctuations across the second building. I'm afraid we broke something with that latest update. Good grief.
Welp. Hazado and I were heading into Building 2 tonight to do some more testing and I got stuck in one of the friggin airlocks between the bridge and mudroom. It's like, at the last second, the doors decided my KI wasn't authorized or something. First door was sluggish to open, let me in, didn't close for a good while, then when it did, the second door didn't open!
At this point, a more naive me would say I was making all this stuff up if they heard it. But no, this is legit happening. What the heck did we do? What's next? One of the buildings stopping rotating entirely??
Kelsei found me conked out on a cliff in Naybree this morning. Brought my attention to a Book she'd found. Descriptive. Hidden in Naybree somewhere. Didn't tell me where, but she must've gone hiking for it.
Kelsei's got something of a nose for sniffing out hidden secrets, it seems. Can't blame her enthusiasm, at any rate. More and more I just feel exhausted to the point of collapse. Naybree is a project. This Book, though...More on that in another journal.
Ametist got a couple of Elonin's exterior doors opened. It's not a Bevin/Seret Style Neighborhood like I'd thought it'd be. I suppose that makes sense given the layout of the place, but it's hard to get a grasp on *where* things are when you're inside a place and can't find the outside.
Small, quiet courtyard. Strangely, makes me feel a bit more at ease seeing the outside and knowing it's there, and not just being confined to the inside.My sense of unease has lessened, somehow. Don't quite get it, but that's human emotion.
Slept in late and missed the opening ceremony for the Anniversary. When did they start setting the time for these things at 9 AM?My own fault for getting nose deep in that Descriptive Book, though.
Well, now I'm certain there's a second voice in the narration system. Also couldn't get a Maintainer Suit out of the wall area like we did before, though, so. Eh.
Chased down some power surges in Gahreesen this morning. Found one potential source in the form of the upstairs KI machine dispenser. Something funky was going on- caught in some kind of either coding error or physical damage loop.
It was outright SPARKING every time it failed to connect to the Lattice server. I shut it down post haste. No sense leaving that kind of health and safety hazard for people to trip over. I wonder what else is going wrong in this damned building?
Checking out the GoMePub nexus terminal for Patrick- thing definitely has some damaged Lattice parts. Looks like the primary signal interfacer between the KI Network and the Terminal isn't signaling right. Should be a straight up and up part replacement. Patrick's done some good work repairing the terminal so far.
No luck securing new Lattice material for the Nexus Terminal yet. Then again, I've not been pushing too hard on it. Naybree's taken up a lot of my attention lately. Always something, with that Age. It's in the proper review phase and folks keep picking at various little things. Love every minute of it, but I kinda wish things would just stay STABLE in the danged Age and not shift subtly.
The fissures in the walls have me heavily concerned, to be honest. With how large the moons are, I can only imagine the tidal forces being exerted on the planet itself. The tree roots aren't helping matters any either.
Got a Mysterium Meeting tonight, and I'm getting hungry. Thinking I'll swing by the model shop before hitting up the king of burgers for some chicken sandwiches. I've a thought to swipe some of the Lattice material from a disconnected KI Terminal, if I can find one that's not in use. I know the Neighborhoods used to have the old Terminals before the DRC just made them all widely available. I know KIREL used to have one, too.
Hm. I wonder if they just shoved them in a storage closet somewhere, or maybe the old Neighborhood Game Rooms? Or they put them somewhere else and I'm barking up the wrong tree. Still. Maybe later I'll go pry open UO Hood's Game room and give the place a check over. See if I can find anything useful.
Had an experiment idea: Tried to seal up the broken lattice parts, and tried slotting it into the Nexus Terminal. It did not succeed. Electricity arced over the damage. I definitely need a fresh replacement part.
Gahreesen Wall- baring the occasional D'ni interrupt- is working as intended it seems. Once we finalize some things, we'll be arranging for a mass test of the thing. Theo, r'Tay, Emor, Hazado, and I did some smaller group testing. I got a functioning and non-jammed-up Maintainer Suit out of it too! More tomorrow.
I'm realizing this journal has meandered quite a bit from its supposed Descent Focus. I guess it really is just a field journal, eh? Elonin's release is around the corner- so's the Wall. Naybree... maybe being held back until next Quarter with Highgarden and- potentially- Direbo. I guess we'll see how the DRC decides to handle things with that.
Carl Palmner's back in D'ni, which is always a fun time for everyone. Had a few chats with him since he came back- about a lot of things. Wheely among them. I still can't get over the idea of *Visiting Noloben* in any official capacity, even with Maintainer Suits, the idea just...
Now I'm hearing talk that Patrick's planning on opening up the lower levels of Chiso? I suppose that cat's stayed patiently in its box, and we've left the explorers hanging for long enough. Time to complete that High Five, I guess.
3/14/22
Spent the afternoon giving a tour of Naybree to Nosila and Scharminius. Basically repeated the same tour as I did with Carl- but both of 'em found things at different paces. Nosila found the back area first, and Scharm the bedroom first.
Went to Gahreesen after- some more Wall testing. Got Nosila a suit before she headed out for the night. Trying to get Scharm one now, but apparently my 20 blocker maze is a biiit too complicated. Just climb to the right side of the wall, Scharm.
Wall looks ready to go from my perspective. Hazado says we're probably about 10 days out from release. That seems absurdly soon, but 10 days from now is the 24th, and that's basically the end of the month. Where did time fly off to this time?
Had a nice chat with Isa tonight. Was a nice talk about kind souls and kind hearts, among other things. She put me back in contact with Max with an email of his. I sent something off. Now to just go get something to snack on. I keep putting it off.
Grandma's back from her trip. Always good to have her company again. Kelsei doesn't have to keep me company anymore- though I think I kinda miss her being around so much already.
Had a nice chat with Jules this morning in the Pub. Discussed the upcoming Subtitle feature and how the KI manages the voice-to-text stuff. Potential in the idea of if the KI's record and save that audio- possibly whole years of important historical data locked away in some long forgotten KIs... just gotta figure out how to access it, if it's there.
Tired. That's really all there is to say on the matter. Haven't heard anything about the Wall, but I suspect we'll be pushing for another round of testing this week. Got a meeting to schedule once we know where that's going...
I'm not the only one tired, it sounds like. Kelsei apparently has had a pretty rough week too... Hm... She's mentioned once or twice about wanting to get a motor scooter in a greenish color. I wonder if I can find a toy, atleast, with the right color scheme?
Tati Masser and Fasyk Casing. Two workers from the Overflow Station whom apparently faked being sick two weeks ago and have since gone missing. They're the ones who "Sami" was apparently nervous around. I can't talk with them now, and that seems heavily suspicious.
Honestly, given the apparent anagram that was "Sami Lesgrandee," I'm willing to bet these two are anagrams of something or other, too. I'm too tired for this nonsense.
Saw 'The Cavern Today' hood on the Nexus today. Talk about a blast from the past. Last time they did a podcast it was back in 2013. Picture Imager has a photo of Jeff Wise's name on the Kahlo Pub Memorial. Awh.
They've got a very flushed out light garden, and have a clock and a Tsogal. Neat. Hood seems to have been around for atleast two days, and a single pellet score upload from Dalkyn Starbyne. 9736 points. VERY new hood to be that low.... J'nathus is on the visitors list quite a lot...
I wonder if anything big will be happening? Seems strange to bring the hood back without the associated podcast. I can already hear that introduction theme in my head... Bwum, bwum, bwym...
Went to see Dr. Quinlan before the open house to get my head looked at. What a strange result from the tests. Somehow I don't have any signs of a concussion- at all? Not even healed over, like it wasn't even there.
Makes no sense. Even the results I got from the doctors visit after I got thrown to the ground was... I don't understand how this is possible, except unless the Vertigo Crystals have something to do with it? I'll be talking with Patrick and Kelsei about letting folks visit the age properly- possible suited up in Maintainer Suits.
---
Of COURSE there was a break in and sabbotage. Of course there was.
I finished dredging up the data log from the hood imager. It comes back to Tati Masser and Fasyk Casing- the two workers from the Overflow Station who have gone AWOL.
Tati's Work-crew networked KI was recorded on The Clinic's Hood Visitor Log imager's backend- noting it's 'not on the main network' status and hiding it from public view thanks to some archaic code the DRC left in there.
I've tried pinging their KIs. I was unable to turn them on and get a location, but somebody certainly noticed. In response, it seems that someone targeted a hack at every networked KI I publicly have made known I own. I've been having issues with their projectors ever since- staying on when I've tried closing it and having to forcibly reboot the KI entirely.
Had an argument tonight. Okay. Maybe less an argument, more trying to convey my thoughts to someone, and not getting through. Only so many times I can repeat myself. I nearly quit the restoration group tonight. I'm still not sure if we're keeping Dr. Quinlan or not. I guess we'll be seeing once we take a break from things for a while. Man's stressed out over recent events. I'm stressed out too.
I might still quit if things don't turn around. Too much friction in the group right now. I can only repeat myself- the truth of my core and who I am- so many times.
---
I've made a public notif of the situation. I can't keep quiet on this.
It's always SOMETHING. We released the Wall- and we forgot the explanation journal. We got the Pub Nexus terminal working- and now the KI is showing a mangled title in one of the view screen categories. Minor issues.
NOW the new generic DRC hoods people are being assigned to are missing GZ books, and have imagers stolen, and fountains off, and Heek Tables missing, and freaking missing even FIREMARBLES.
JUST what we needed. I have no idea what's happening. Sabotage? Did someone steal the DRC's stockpile? I'm seeing shadows after everything with the damned clinic sabotage.
We got fountain water back on in the affected hoods. Will be seeing about sorting out the rest.
Happy D'ni New Year.
---
And everything should be in order again. I'm. Still not sure what happened. Have had too many other things to be concerned over. I'm tired. Utterly. Got too much to do tomorrow. Also constant fire risks. Gonna be driving to airport. Gotta... deal with... BLUH.
I'm tired of the Surface. Tired of infighting. Tired of stuff going wrong. Tired.
I'm tired of the situation on the surface. Everything that's happening feels like a constant slap in the face. It's depressing. I feel... depressed. Sad in general about stuff. All it takes is one little blow to just...
Iwonk helped me through a rough spot last night- helped me down from a disasaociation/anxiety attack. I don't know what I would've done if she also hadn't had some excellent advice learned from paramedics regarding my cousin's alcohol mixing habits. Today was... not pleasant.
Elonin Released. Had a calming weekend. Monday was a Monday in all the stereotypical ways. Tenny's seen Tati Masser and Fasyk Casing on 4/26 and 4/27 on the Clinic's imager. He was away picking up first aid kit supplies, and so missed them. Damn it all.
Meanwhile. I once again am about to lose all faith in the Surface World. I'm honestly wishing I wasn't living in one of those tumultuous chapters of a future history book right now. I don't know how to vent these emotions.
Running away and hiding isn't a safe move for everyone. I don't have the energy to fight- I'm so exhausted and I feel like I can't catch a break from it all. Times like these I feel like...
Like the universe seems fit to keep me from catching a breath, catching a break. It's one horrid thing after another. I can bury myself in my work- that's my gut instinct and reaction- but that's not... going to last me forever.
I'm already feeling burnt out on the work front even after a week's break that was more like half a week's break at that, and- I'm. I'm scared. I'm scared of the world I live in. I'm scared that if not one side of things, another side of things will come along on the surface and kill me along with everyone else.
I don't want to die. But that sure feels like what the world is trying to do. Kill everyone. One way or another. This is probably just the late night depression talking, to be honest. I should stop dwelling and just go to bed.
Apparently I'm posting poems to my blog and not realizing it. The Crystals are definitely having some long-term effect on me for sure. I wish I knew what. I'm noticing that whatever this is tends to be cropping up lately when I'm especially stressed about something.
I'll have to talk with Tenny about it. If pattern holds up with how I'm feeling today compared to yesterday, and how late I seemingly slept in this morning... If I post something tonight, I guess we'll have my answer, won't we?
WELP. I posted a thing without knowing it, again. Time to not fuss out over THAT and instead take a look at Direbo. There's been a lot of anxious talk about it among the group today.
It's Direbo. It's a nice garden. Lots of towering rock spires. A whole lot more bridges than Myst V depicted. Also, the gates really don't do much of anything since you can jump over them, or meander past them thanks to some paths in the swamp. Giant plinths of stone; lots of benches. It's a Garden Age. There's not much else to say on the matter.
It's Direbo. I think my main concern at this stage is that the Age is a garden of giant stone pillars- with some very narrow bases in places. If someone accidentally leans against one, or chips away at the bases intentionally... one of these things could come tumbling down and cause a whole chain reaction of folks getting hurt.
With the close proximity some of these towering monoliths have to each other, and how tall some are... It wouldn't take much. It really wouldn't. I know I'm being paranoid about it but after being shoved over, and having everything going on with the people harassing Tenny's clinic...
I can't stay here any longer. My brain is just- noping out of here.
---
Bleh. Door to the downstairs area is jamming up again. Gonna have to remind Patrick to get someone to grease the mechanism ahead of allowing people in here.
Rarified got the door greased up, this morning. Had the first inaugural wall Tournament in Cody Herd's Gahreesen, today. Was an amazing bout of four matches, but the control console fritzed out a bit causing delays. Still- atleast we know the machine can handle a full 5v5 matchup!
Everything went well, imho. Just, lots of other stuff to deal with and get done and so on and so forth. Time to worry about Naybree things and definitely NOT think about the sleep-writing.
What a damnable day. Woke up super late- missed Fil's broadcast- almost backed out of AGM moderating due to exhaustion- had an argument with a guy about guild names... UGH. And then had to run the AGM anyways.
And THEN. Right as I close it down. Turns out an old friend of Jules was sitting in the audience the entire time. Psychic by the name of Madame Sophia. She had something to say but wanted to wait until after the AGM was over. Polite lady, that one. (Some folks around here could stand to learn some patience about not intruding on events, especially ones with rules about what to do during the event...)
I'm not one to believe in prophecy. I really am not. But Jules vouches for her- and she helped him get to grips with Echo's past-visions and- honestly. If my own nonsensical altered states are anything to go by...
This feels open ended. Too open ended if you ask me. But I can't dismiss it. Much as I want to. There's something to Prophecies and Dreams about D'ni. I have my issues with Watchers Words. Too open ended.
---
Apparently Echo's had a vision as well. Something of the Past. Two men in cloaks stealing a child away into a book and then falling into the canyon when the ground split. I'd hate to say it's not connected but given the timing...
Chogon, Briggs, and Hazado have gotten a bunch of DRC Cosplayers (Who I'm told are choosing to remain nameless, like ghosts) together for a video shoot in one of the hoods tomorrow. I'll be doing some flying shots with my drone camera to do some promotional work with later on down the line. Should be fun!
Hazado's work on the Watchers Pub Imager is finally getting put into play, it seems. Patrick's planning some work alongside his Nexus Book addition. Should be nice.
I've just been contacted by Mystlander of The Great Tree. Now there's a group name I haven't heard of in a long time. Apparently our antics down here in D'ni have gotten attention from those first generation explorers back in 2003. They've even got a hood active on the Nexus. I'm honestly not sure what to make of the request in specific, something about the pub jackets? I've asked Marten about it, since he had one of them last I knew. Speaking of ghosts coming back, I just spotted Wayne Todd's KI online again.
Apparently he's gotten a Relto book again from the Cleft- Yeesha or Zandi or a Bahro- whoever- placed one for him. Glad to see that system is still working for sure. I've taken the opportunity to warn him about Tati Masser and Fasyk Casing. Get him caught up with current events.
Benavud? What a weird name. Not the weirdest I've seen down here in D'ni, but it stands out, and I've never heard it before today. Man apparently has amnesia, after Jules and Ed found him. Good grief. Someone's going to ask me to try data driving the man's borken KI, aren't they?
Eder Bahvahnter? I was JOKING when I called this the Garden Quarter. In lieu of Direbo undergoing critical reviews, and Highgarden on its way in, I'm hearing word that Ametist is asking about potentially adding another Garden Age to the mix too. And if Direbo DOES make it through review...
I write this late at night, yawning, and near ready to go to bed, wondering where exactly this month has gone? Gone into Naybree; gone into other tests of things like the Wall, or the KI; gone into... well. Putting Direbo on hold would be putting it mildly, I suppose. Those massive stone pillars are still a major concern of mine. One wrong nudge and they all come tumbling down. Why did the D'ni write ages like this? For the spectacle, I'd imagine.
Prophecy is a thing I never thought I'd write much about. Sophia's prophecy earlier at the AGM this month was followed up by Echo McKenzie having a vision of the past that very same day. It's been somewhat the talk of the Cavern, though with normal amounts of skepticism.
Cue Jules and Ed-K-James finding a man in the Ae'gura Library, well past the usual stopping point. Guy wore a Yeesha Shirt, but had no memory of anything- let alone D'ni, or his name. It got pulled from the KI- wrecked as it is- one Benavud by name.
Tiernan's got him on observation for the time being. I've had a poke at the KI a few times, seeing if I can atleast transfer the User ID, name registration, and age ownership to a new device. Had some mild successes with that. Just wishing folks would stay away from disaster, like Wayne.
Kelsei ran a check with the community- nobody's heard of Benavud, and he's not been registered on any work crews or on any networked KIs. So, 'Benny' here is one of those quiet explorers who never interacts with folks, evidently. Scharm's run into a few folks like that from time to time, so I'm not surprised.
Hazado's poking around Watcher's Pub's imager again- seems like we've got it working in testing states. If only the same could be said for the Nexus' population counter. Apparently there's a reason the DRC never hooked up the Guild Pubs or K'veer to read how many people were there- and the reason seems to be they never figured out how to do it, leaving us to pick up the slack, potentially never to figure it out either. Gotta love old D'ni tech, I guess.
Naybree's probably getting close to completion, though folks are rightly worried over the cracks in the walls where the roots have burst forth from- myself included. Honestly, don't know what to do with any of that right now. Kelsei's Uncle's been over this weekend so I haven't been able to chat with her much about any of this stuff. Family takes priority, y'know?
And speaking of Wayne, Wayne's back. Had a chat with him the other night. He's got a new Relto, courtesy of the Cleft. Apparently he's thinking of bringing folks down on tourist runs? Honestly, just what we need- more people running around down here when there's plenty of folks running around unknown.
Something Jules said after Sophia's prophecy's been rattling around the back of my brain. Wavelengths. It's about Wavelengths. I think the Vertigo Crystals might have some kind of wavelength based communication system. I mean, duh- all sound is wavelength based so sound based communication would be the same, but I'm thinking about, like, the concept of energy wavelengths- light and electrical impulses.
It COULD be possible the crystal experiments I was doing earlier last year resulted in some kind of... wavelength attunement in my brain, possibly? It's not exactly something we can check but considering the altered states of awareness I've had, plus the danged *Poems*!
...And considering the concussion healed up implausibly entirely... But all of that aside, I'm not conducting any experiments until Murry and Tiernan are ready for such a thing- and Murry's still setting up his desk down in Chiso's basement, so... that *could* be a while, I suppose. We've all got a lot on our plates right now.
I've got an idea. If the KI-Router experiment caused a resonant connection between my brain and the crystals... what else could trigger it? Sound waves? Musical notes? Some kind of harmonic reverberation maybe? This is dangerous and Kelsei will probably throw me in a maintainer suit for the very idea of it, but... I have to try this.
And I'm back after a long weekend of examining wrecked equipment in the Overflow Station, and then getting caught up in Fathers Day stuff. I'd almost forgotten about that. My parents were a tad concerned they couldn't get through to me.
Well, regardless. I'm back from Rei'schu, as well. Lovely place. Nice moons, nice people, very interesting culture. ...Very large Megafauna Wildlife. More on that in its own journal.
Kelsei says Skyisblu has a stream today, but I've got so much stuff to catch up on in the restoration work that I'll have to miss it I think. Kelsei said she was going anyways so. */SHRUG*
Honestly, this Journal is getting pretty dang full. I think I'm... yeah. Only about three or so pages left blank. Oof. I think I'll just start using the Rei'schu journal for regular diarying anyways....
When the heck did did those paintings of the Cavern hung up? They look like Minasunda's work, I think. Very nice paintings regardless of who painted them, though. My kudos to the Artist.
---
Town Hall Meeting sounds like Wednesday, 1400, Great Tree Hood. Good to know.
Not so good? Carl lost my Chess Set!!? Of all the things for the klepto thieves to take...! And where the heck is my red ink pen anyways? I'm not sure this ink color goes well with this paper type.
Final entry in this journal. I'm just about out of pages. Maybe I oughta get it moved to one of the Chiso Shelves... or maybe just leave it on my desk. Eh. Doesn't matter. Kelsei's dragged me out of Naybree to get dinner now, so we'll be doing that, and I'll deal with desk organizational matters later. Far later. After Mysterium Later. I've got a lot on my plate regarding THAT as well. Good grief. So much to deal with this next month.
Final Quarter prep, then Mysterium Prep right around the August Corner, and... Oh Boy. So much to do, so little time. I'd be surprised if my new field journal even gets any entries this July. I've also got a therapist session tomorrow. Got a lot to talk about.
I had to take a break to deal with some matters on the surface. Such a frightful couple of days. It's back to the book hunt for me. Got a new journal - which is you, my dear bright green clad tome.
Spoke with X, Scharm, Nosi, and Mafasa about the Kirel Audio Podium recording, earlier. X thought I was pulling her leg over it, but, nope! I'd never pull anyone's leg over something like this! At PodHopper's Relaxation Session now. Should be a good few hours of peace and quiet.
Saw some photos Semjay posted of her work in Kalamee, today. I'm thoroughly impressed! It looks amazing, and I can't wait to be able to explore it. From what little I know of the age, a D'ni Survivor also lived there at one point. I don't know if they still live there or not.
I heard heavy breathing and someone moaning like a ghost and I whirled around and splashed my coffee on them! Then Calum starts laughing his head off from the inside of that damnable Maintainer Suit! Apparently HE got stuck inside one after the latest round of debug testing in Gahreesen.
Let it be known that Maintainer Suits protect against coffee just as well as they do any element. Good grief. That boy... I don't know what gets into him sometimes. Once he stopped laughing, he asked me to help him take the helmet off. Not happening, buster! Get yourself out of that thing on your own.
Well, I woke him up, and told him about the Descriptive Book I'd found in Naybree. He wanted to take a look at it immediately. He's been poring over the Descriptive Book's pages ever since. Good grief, what did I do?
---
Spoke with Minasunda this morning. I'll take a swing at hosting the AGM this week if nobody else steps up for it. Calum was still in the midst of reviewing the Book when I came to the Pub for Fil's broadcast.
He seemed enthralled by it, to be quite honest. I can't blame him. A Genuine D'ni era Descriptive Book, just left in the open for all this time? He's taking extreme care with it, ensuring the pages aren't damaged, the writing is intact, etc, etc.
He's already planning to link through it when he finishes his review. I've had to remind him that he's not to go alone, and not without a Maintainer Suit. I should probably let Patrick know about the book. Or at least, Calum's interest in it. I feel like that may be a bad idea, though. This age is... Something special.
Rei'schu- Exten-col- It's a potentially still inhabited age. Visiting it is a risky endeavor that might be perilous.
---
Sounds like a door was opened in Elonin. I'm surprised I got a message about it, even. I'm not on the testing roster for that sort of thing, so why...? Oh good grief. I just had a perilous thought. Calum, please tell me you didn't set my KI as yours message forwarding?
...He did. I sent him a message and it rebounded back to me. Oh good grief, he actually did. He set my KI up to receive messages from his. Why did he-? ...Head in the books, I can only guess. Good grief.
---
Had a nice catch-up chat with Jules. I should check in on Calum, I think. Let's see now... Er'cana, hm?
---
Well, Calum was certainly head deep in the book, waiting on an Er'cana oven cycle to cycle through. I asked him about the forwarding system, and he remarked that he didn't even remember turning it on. Good grief.
---
AGM over. I've emailed Patrick. Someone trolled the damnable speaker button. How rude!
I missed out on attending any of the anniversary events this week, alas. Surface life and translation work for Patrick had me busy. Speaking of, Patrick's talking about opening up the downstairs area of Chiso later this year. Sounds like an interesting time to be had eventually.
And I've just served as a middle messenger between Taliana and Jules regarding a German translation of the Kirel Podium messages. 'Tis what I get for going on stage at the AGM, it seems. That, and I need to check my KI more often.
Woke up to the sound of fire engines rushing down the street, sirens blaring, at around 8 this morning. I am not a happy Kelsei. And Yay, an email from mother asking me to a family reunion with a family group I don't even recognize the name of. Plus no Fil live today? Drat! What a day today is shaping out to be already!
Calum's asked me to do his Er'cana Pellet run for this morning. I really ought to just copy his oven settings over to mine at this point. It'd save me the extraneous jog. He brought up that he thinks the Exten-col book is stable enough for a visit. I'll bring it up with Patrick later.
---
Thinking it over, though, I suspect that someone could probably climb the vines in place of the broken ladder. They're likely sturdy enough. I wouldn't risk it personally, though. Now to catch up on some work before the AGM.
---
No Mina this week. Tweek, Korov'ev, Rehn. Patrick, Aurelias.
---
Well, that was fun. A bit of mild stress at the end regarding questions I can't answer. But fun! Now to get some dinner.
---
DEEP CITY LECTURE NOTES:
Overlap between religion and government laws isn't surprising.
Reactionary laws, yes, much like how the US limited Presidential terms to 2 after that one spree of 4 runs.
Illicit Ages being not vetted by Writers or Maintainers seems likely. Theft of books and even adultery being major crimes is a surprising note, though.
Imprisonment THEN Banishment from a family? The social stigmas of that makes me wonder about the Cathedral family.
Minor Crime laws: Reactionary to outsiders. Age trading. Coersion.
Things in D'ni tended to get more restrictive than loosened. Xenophobia/Colonialism/D'ni Supremacy drives behind these things. How aggravating.
Open minded people operating under systemic layers of aprehension. The isolation was definitely a large issue.
---
I can only wonder how the laws and D'ni's isolationist culture impacted Rei'schu's civilization or culture, and what of the family that interacted with them. How much did they have to hide from the Maintainers Guild?
---
KI # 258876
Wasn't expecting to run into Carl Palmner of all people at this Lecture. I'll have to message Calum.
---
Talking about the Relyimah now. "Security Theater" that's a good word for it, I suppose. Not all of it was theater, yes, but... it's a good phrase. There's a lot of talk about D'ni culture being serious about family and oaths, too.
---
The conversation with Patrick this afternoon was a good reminder to to Calum that we need to deal with the inhabited Ages carefully. If we're going to be visiting it, it needs to be a full survey group, rather than just a few explorers - or just me and Calum like it was with Naybree.
Inhabited Ages are a different risk compared to uninhabited - or "possibly" uninhabited- ones. The Caltauc in Chiso Preniv are a similar matter that I'm worrying over at the moment. Those documents I handed over to Patrick today...
If the natives in that age become hostile to our presence once they notice it, much as they did with the D'ni back in the day, I don't know what to think of our future chances of using that Age. We'd need to try to engage in a peaceful first contact scenario- pray the locals have grown as a civilization since the D'ni abandoned Chiso.
I have no idea what to make of the people of Exten-col, from what little we know, well enough to even try to predict what the people in that Age are going to be like in the present day.
The Fall was over 200 years ago. Athsheba was just a child at the time. Ideally, if she's shared the usual D'ni lifespan and hasn't run into any issues that could have hurt her from her isolation, she'd probably be an old woman by now- possibly still a very traumatized one if new people suddenly show up in the Age.
In a worst case scenario without meeting Atrus' people, she doesn't know what happened to D'ni. She'd be wary of outsiders. She'd pass that along to the people of the Age. And then there's the Chezahcen matter to consider. Let's say we're taking things literally. That she's a real, bonafied, mystical goddess. That the stories from the religious texts and the wall paintings are true. What is her reaction to our arrival? Has she foreseen this? Has she set things in motion?
Let's say it's metaphor. That there's something in the Age the locals can ascribe to a Goddess- but she's nothing more than a story. How does our arrival upset things? How do they react? How does Athsehba react? There's simply too much to consider, and we're likely not going to know until we visit the Age.
Translation is going to be an issue. Do they speak D'ni? Will we need someone fluent enough in D'ni to talk with them? Do they only speak the local language? How out of date is the text I have in comparison to their modern language? If I try to serve as a translator, will I be able to talk to them? Or will it sound to them like I would if I'm speaking Victorian Era old English to a modern audience?
200 years is a long time when considering these things. Our information is so out of date it's not even funny. I know Athsheba left the book, along with a link back to the Cathedral, but why? For others to find, she implied in her journal. So does that mean she's told the locals to expect strangers to appear from thin air someday?
I voiced these concerns to Calum this morning. He took one look, and said, "I sincerely hope one of us doesn't end up in a Doctor Jackson role." Good grief- always equating things to fiction!
Paid my respects to the Kahlo Pub Memorial. Been a while since I did that. Decided to hang out in Ae'gura after. Wound up speaking with [zane], TikiBear, HenryMikel, Dalken Starbyne, Lutra, and Opcode_ for a bit, too.
Was an interesting conversation on drama, the past, and other things. Not much to say other than I ended up repeating myself regarding the Cathedral again- did that when Carl dropped by during Radio Free D'ni yesterday.
Well, it'll be another busy day at work, it looks like. A shame, I'd have liked to have gotten to go to the Country Evening in the Cleft this week. Maybe I can swing some time and get tomorrow off for the last of the International Women's Week stuff.
Got the day off, made my way to Kirel for the first talk... very early. I could use the rest though. :)
---
Was a fun evening all around. Spoke a bit with Diranda while we waited. Kirel's next quarterly recording should be ready to go soon-ish. I did hand off the notes to Patrick to approve, though, last I'd heard it'd been cut down in time a bit. Something about trying to keep them under six minutes?
Owly's talk about Yeesha was very interesting. And Iwonk's "Wonky Talk" Stream after was very entertaining and fun to watch. Iwonk is such a clever artist in addition to a witty pun maker and cookie baker. I'd watch more streams of hers any day!
Time changes throw me off. Had to leave in the middle of RFD for dinner because it started an hour later. Also woke up an hour later than usual. Meanwhile, I see Calum has spent a sizable chunk of the day uploading old transcripts to the forums' new transcripts section. Where does he find the time?
HAPPY PI DAY! Grab yourself a Pie of some kind! I don't have much to say except that it's Monday, and Mondays go as Mondays go. I'm hearing it's about ten days until the anticipated release of the Wall- though we'll see if that holds true. Apparently Calum gave Scharminius and Nosila a tour of Naybree today. Wish I could've been there for it.
St. Patricks Day, and it snows at home. Calum's complained to me already about not being able to go to the store for groceries. I thought to shop ahead! ...Is what I'd like to say, because, no I didn't. I'm in just as sorry of a state of food prep. Damned snow.
This is on top of waking up late (Cursed time change) AND waking up after having had a dream that a snake bit me on the thumb! A glove I was wearing prevented it from penetrating skin, but it still hurt, and in the dream, my parents were heavily concerned... And then wanted to get me somewhere I didn't want to go, so I ran off? Ugh. Dreams. I swear, the nonsense within them sometimes.
In reality, I suspect I was just lying on my thumb in my sleep a bit- or had it pinched between my knees maybe? Dreams tend to project those sort of physical sensations into ones imagined reality.
I don't understand why I was wearing gloves at a shopping center, or why a snake would have bitten me outside of one, though... Though, perhaps the shopping center was because I knew I'd screwed up on groceries? If so, I don't know why I was shopping for non grocery things in the middle of spring/summer, or wearing winter gloves for.
Had fun party times in GoMePub. Chatted with Doobes, Diranda, and Ereshkigal about some recent events. Calum has me worried right now- he's not answering my messages. I'm going to check in on him now.
---
[Small tear stains mar the page's surface]
Damn it, Calum! Don't scare me like this! You idiot!
---
He's fine. For now. I'm keeping an eye on him overnight - Doctor's orders. Just in case.
Calum hit his head. Says some woman breached security and shoved him to the ground in the overflow station. Just... What the hell? Why? Why this? Why would someone break in and-?
With Calum sleeping now, I thought I'd take a break for the evening and relax at the Mid-Stairs Landing after the last few days of 'excitement.' Tomorrow I'll be heading down to the archives again to check on if we have any information regarding who wrote Naybree. It's a mystery that should keep my mind off of things.
I still can't get over it! That someone would have the gall to just-! Push Calum over like that! How utterly frustrating. If I ever meet this woman, I'll- I'll--!!
Apparently we have a Doctor down here now- some Irish fellow by the name of Tiernan Quinlan. That would've been handy to know a few days ago. Always seems like these things get rectified after an incident, somehow.
---
Well, I was up far later than I intended to be. Calum's still asleep though, hasn't moved. Still breathing normally. That's good.
I'm going to be honest. After the last week of surface life getting on my nerves, I need a break. The sheer amount of back and forth talk about things is... Yes! We need plans at work. I get that. We need plans for what we're doing.
Why do I feel like I'm the only one contributing to those planning stages? I know that's not the case. But. Ye Gods, I feel like I'm the only one contributing some of these things actively. Meanwhile, everyone else is talking about how we should do things without actually doing those things? I- oh.
I Am just - !!! - Nearing my breaking point with some of this. And that's in addition to my worries over Calum, and this whole intruder business. Calum's been texting me and keeping me up to date on his thoughts.
NOW he's thinking that the intruder must have thought him associated with someone who ALSO infiltrated the worksite, but did so *legitimately* and was genuinely trying to help undo sabotage? Honestly, where does he get these ideas... the woman shoved him to the ground!
How can he be so sympathetic to someone whose only interaction with him was to push him to the ground when here I am and he doesn't *SEE* how I'm feeling about ANY of this?! I spent how many nights staying over with him!? Keeping tabs on him long after the doctor cleared him of injury!?
And I'm- I can't even bring myself to write the words let alone TELL him- but HOW does he not SEE!? Plus yet another firescare yesterday. I'm. Tired. I'm tempted to call in sick tomorrow... I think I might, actually.
Work needed me yesterday and I had to fill in for someone else who called in sick. So I beat them to the punch and did it today. I need the break.
Visited an explorer's Relto... I was a little unnerved over the reclaimed Bahro Poles in their yard. I heard one scream even while I was there. Good grief.
Some mild chatter between Carl and Tiernan and Ereshkigal while I tried to relax at relaxing session today. Fortunately I think they got the hint I wasnt in the mood for much socializing after a bit.
How sweet, Calum heard how tired I was yesterday and got me a cute little toy-scale motor scooter, with a little pull back and launch method too. I think I'll keep it on my desk in Chiso. Now if only I had a little doll or figure that was the right scale for it! Oh well, that can wait for another time.
I'm seeing ghosts, I have to be. There's no reason for that 'Sami' girl to be stalking me on the surface, let alone looking terrified out of her wits while doing it.
Busy, busy, busy. How has it been half a month already since I got that little toy from Calum? Patrick's officially announced planning to open up the lower Chiso Library area to the public- so who knows how long that'll take before it's officially open and what not.
Dr. Quinlan had his Sanctuary Clinic open house today, which went off successfully, it seems. I couldn't make it due to work. Seems like we all missed one hell of a party afterwards- someone smashed up one of the patient rooms!
The Doctor has also mentioned he's seen some folks hanging around the town he gets his supplies from. Suspicious. I've passed along Calum's reservations about those two awol employees from the overflow station, just incase. It's probably my own paranoia/anxiety speaking, born from a stressful two weeks at work. That's all it has to be. Honestly.
In other news, Tenny's poked me to ask Calum about how his exam went. I've texted him now. I guess I'll see what he replies.
---
What? That's impossible. It's - that's - Calum's latest scans show no signs of a concussion at all- not even healed ones. That's... Calum thinks it may be the Vertigo Crystals? Damn it all.
Met up with Calum at the Island this morning before he went out on errands. I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing the images infront of my own eyes. The scans taken when he was hurt versus yesterday are impossibly different. This can't be right?? How? How could this be possible?
Repeat scans repeat the trend. Calum's head is HEALED. How in the world...? Not even showing signs of damage. This... This makes no sense unless the Crystals did something??? But... how? Why??
Apparently TikiBear has lost a Gnome? Poor thing. Who would *dare* steal a Garden Gnome!? Still, somehow I'd rather focus on the thought of a lost Garden Gnome over medical improbabilities.
Elonin is released, and what a line! I could see it going on from the book clear to the link in! Filming was a bit of a tedious task, though. Danged camera screen kept flickering at me. Fortunately, Calum says the video isn't corrupted. So, that's good. I'll have to check the video tomorrow. I'm quite a bit tired now, and I think I'll be heading to bed soon. What a day!
Calum's posting vague poems to the internet again. This one sounds like something describing Naybree. I wonder why? My thoughts come back to the age, considering it's soon-to-be-released nebulous status of the whims of restoration. The Age of Naybree, and Vertigo's crystals... It's a strange confounding mess of threads, tangling together. And I wish I could write if not for a constant string of TEXT MESSAGES! Damned Surface Work.
You get stuck working on the surface for ONE DAY! And suddenly all kinds of PROPHECY breaks loose!!! How Jules knows two different psychics of the past and future seeing varriety, I don't know nor do I care to know just yet. I'll read up on the forums later.
---
So. Jules knew Echo McKenzie, an apparent psychic who sees the future. He wanted to learn more about it, so he went to this "Astral Bureau of Circulation" place in Boston. Met this Madame Sophia there.
She came to the AGM, and waited until after it ended to drop a bombshell of a prophecy. Then, not an hour after that, Echo herself showed up, did some chatting, and wound up getting caught in a trance and seeing a vision of some kidnapping event during the Fall.
Honestly. Psychics. Vision seers. I'll believe there's some element of truth to it, but Prophecy? Prophecies. Just what we needed ontop of everything else.
---
"Danger comes to those who seek.
A good tree grows in a far corner of the cavern.
A branch rots and falls. Its withered husk takes root.
A malicious tree grows in a far corner of the cavern.
Not much to say except I had a lovely afternoon break off for Fil Live. Work continues to hound me on the surface. Hoping Calum's not overstressing himself with Naybree work.
I've also heard that apparently that rascal Wayne has decided to come back down after getting a replacement Relto Book- I'm hearing talk that he's requested a desk downstairs in Chiso.
Iwonk's Wonky Talk stream is today! I've managed to secure my afternoon off work for it. I'm now settled in at the Guild of Cookies hood. I'm an hour early but so what?
---
Was a good show! Glad I could catch most of it! Just sorry I had to leave early at the end to catch dinner. Oh well.
Had an interesting evening chatting with Carl, Tenny, and quite a few explorers tonight. Discussed the whole prophecy thing. Some interesting theories came up. Also discussed the nature of capitalism in the modern psychic industry. Not quite sure where I thought the evening would go.
Jules and his friend Ed stumbled on an Amnesiac Explorer earlier today. Behind the barricades in the lower library floors, name of "Benavud." I'm not familiar with the name, and I can't find a record of it in the work crew records. I'll have to wait for crowds to form in Ae'gura or the night-time hood gathering to ask folks.
---
Talked with the night-hood crowd tonight. Sia, Cody Herd, Captain Jericho, Root Beer, Malaclypse, Choupette, Jet Blast, D'ni Seeker 5, and Carl Palmner in attendance- among others I forgot to write down the names of.
Nobody knows Benavud, alas. We discussed the events of the 'prophecies' earlier this month. I'm tired. With my uncle flying in tomorrow, and things going crazy in D'ni... May I please have a break?
I've had a few explorers reach out to me about Calum sleepwalking in the city last night. I've been given a chatlog that I'm pouring over now. Good grief, just what we needed now of all times.
---
Calum's not responding to texts or KI messages. Getting concerned. I'll have to go investigate the usual haunts and see if he's anywhere...
---
No? Nowhere? He's usually been after one of these sleep walking states? That's concerning. The only place I can't check is his Relto. If he had the book on him and linked away last night... Hrmf.
---
At relaxing session now. Going to mull over my options while I think...
---
Decided to visted Calum's grandmother- apparently she's out on another trip of hers- wasn't home. Did find one of Calum's journals, though, along with several pieces of sound equipment and fragments of Vertigo Crystals.
I've spent the meantime since then by wandeirng Naybree, and helping Moiety Jean with a pellet drop, and finding the last cloth she needed in Ahnonay. Still not sure what to make of any of this. Beyond the obvious fact that Calum's been recording how the Vertigo Crystals react to sound waves, and decided to do something foolish regarding his own previous exposure to the damned things: tried to see if there was a harmonic tone that was invoking his sleepwalking states.
Given his notes and the equipment all point to a single frequency- A440, or A in C Major- and were left in that state for the better part of a day, I think his experiment was an unmitigated success in that single sense.
---
Visiting again, I'm more concerned that he seems to have packed up quite a few things in a hurry, and vanished somewhere. Nobody mentioned he had a backpack on last night, so it has to have been after that.
Rei'schu: or Exten-Col, as I've called it. Extension. Collection. The Descriptive Book we found in Naybree. We were keeping it in my private Neighborhood along with other important documents, but of course I'd given Calum access. If he went home, packed up for a trip, and then made his way to the Book...
I need to talk with Patrick in the morning about heading into this potentially still inhabited age. We may have already lost a chance at a controlled first contact scneario.
Damn it all- *Calum Used The Book!* Jules and Tenny have volunteered to go with me- regardless of Patrick's decision on the matter. Looks like we've got a mission building.
---
Patrick's advised that any expedition is taken cautiously, and in a group. Well, that's good, I suppose.
Had a mostly relaxing day after we got back from Rei'schu. Wrote up my report, spent time at Karaoke, and hung out in Ae'gura all night. Managed to get Sky caught up on events as well. What a damnable mess the last trip was. I have some priestesses to talk to tomorrow about some strange dreams.
Strange, tiring day. Suited up again, and returned to Rei'schu. The younger Priestesses claimed no insight into the dream I'd had that lead me to find the Naybree book in the first place. The eldest Priestess- Karin'da, was her name- she told a different tale.
"The Lady Chezahcen may sometimes reach out outside of the connections of the Crystals, across the spans of space and time and worlds, to encourage events into a favorable outcome. In this tale, I cannot say for certain whether the dream you had was one of these events."
Priestess Karin'da replied: "For while you are not bound by them as young Calum was, you still have been touched by the Crystals in your own way. They've left their mark just the same." She gave smile I'm not quite sure was meant to be reassuring. "Sometimes, merely being exposed to the crystals allows you insight into things from neighboring realities, in places where the walls between worlds are thin, and the energy between universes is high."
Perhaps sensing my unsease, Karin'da redirected the topic to asking me- that she'd observed some things, and was curious if Calum was just being polite by ignoring the younger priestess's advances- the one who was taking care of him- or if he was just oblivious due to cultural differences.
I told her, I don't know either. He may just not be built for such things. The smile i got in turn was definitely sympathetic. The knowing hum of sound that accompanied it transcended language, as well.
...I. What? Benavud's not genetically Earth-human? He's... Well, he's either from a parallel Earth, or he's a bookworlder. How in the - I just -- *What???*
Just saw Sami's name listed on the URU Obsession hood imager's visitor list, near the bottom on the 19th. Good grief, I must have had my mind so full of events after that day to have not noticed. The 19th was when Benavud was found.
Honestly, it's a miracle I spotted the name when I did- it was almost pushed to the bottom of the imager and off the board. Only my and Calum's names kept it from being totally erased. I'm not sure whether to consider that a sign from someone, or just a mere coincidence.
Sami Lesgrandee. I've put out a notice on the forums and the GoMePub imagers requesting if people spot her in cavern to forwards me her KI# and not to engage. I don't want to spook her, if she's as innocent as Calum claims she might be.
...I'm not telling him until I have a talk with this woman.
---
I've done a cyclical pass of the cavern a few times tonight. Going to do one more tonight. Damn it. I'm beating myself over the head - metaphorically speaking - for missing her name being on the Imager all this time. If Calum is right and this girl is in danger... I shudder to think about what my delay may have done.
---
I've Notified Skyisblu. Hopefully between her and the others I've asked and the imager board notif I've posted, things will go okay and I'll get that KI# soon. I just hope I'm not too late.
I've had a few folks point out my imager board notice was a bit... estranged and confrontational.
---
I've managed to get the KI#, though, and reached out. We'll see if I get a response.
---
Met Tenny's boyfriend Logan Marcus today. Gosh, they look adorable together. Well, atleast someone's managed to find love in the last few months. Can't say the same for myself.
With everything that's happened, I completely forgot to get Murry the Vertigo Crystal samples he requested for his brother. I suited up and went to Vertigo this morning to get them, and felt... Watched. It's a feeling I've had before, but it was more stand out this time.
It's funny, knowing I've likely got a tie right back to Calum right now without even going to Rei'schu. The melodic humming within the age is... a bit more offputting, in retrospect.
Still, I decided to try something. I asked for two crystal samples for research. I wasn't expecting any response but... Here they came. Two little fragments of red and blue, just floating down towards me from above.
I took them and returned to Chiso immediately. Murry can do his experiments infront of the rest of us in relative safety. And if things go wrong like they did with Calum, atleast we know where to go to resolve it.
With Calum out in Rei'schu for the foreseeable future, I've been assigned his duties, to a large degree as I can take on whatever I can. Beyond extraordinary situations, such as Patrick calling me in to do initial surveying in Descent, or my own inexplicable drive to locate and restore Eder Naybree, I'm rarely doing this actual survey work.
Yes, that's right, a specific part of a larger age. Fahets is one of Keith's ages, dating back to his "The Third Path" group which existed far before I ever set foot in the Cavern with my cousin, Dawn. All I'm aware of the Age's history is that there was some form of calamity that nearly befel the Age, and it was... rectified with modifications to the Descriptive Book? I want to say, but can't with any certainty.
(Needless to say, the similarities in travesty to Rei'schu/Ext-col have me interested for a varriety of reasons.)
It's quiet, and night time as I've arrived now, Linking in at a ring of standard Garden Architecture. I have no idea of the Age's history, so I can't say for certain if this place was part of the "Garden Binge" that Kemo, Delin, Tsogahl, and Naybree hail from, or if some explorer was just *very* dedicated at recreating the standardized forms.
The sky above is starry, and a massive green nebula hangs overhead. I'm reminded vaguely of Rei'schu's moons, but honestly- what a sight! There's a moon, encased half way in shadow. It looks vaguely similar to Earth's lunar partner, but I can't quite see enough of it. Something seems off, regardless.
Beyond the sky, it's astoundingly dark. I can barely see where I'm going if not for the occasional lamp. I sure picked a real doozy of a time to arrive, didn't I? Naybree was practically glowing at night with all the excessive lighting put in place there. In contrast, Highgarden seems to be a diametric opposition of intent there. It favors the night sky almost exclusively over anything else.
More familiar garden age Architecture. Gazebos. I really must ask Keith where these pieces came from. The plant life is VERY alien in appearance, though. I wonder if people are asking Keith about these as much as Calum's been asked about Naybree's plant-life?
Ow. The stupid irony of not doing research work in an Age during the middle of the night, only to trip on ones own bed after turning out the lights and crashing into a bookshelf. My shoulder hurts- not constantly, so I doubt I broke anything, but it's sore enough I'm not doing any heavy lifting work for a while.
Happy Children's Day, in the US. I'm only making note of this due to hearing about it in Iwonk's last stream session. I didn't know it was even a thing until then. We'll be doing a meet and greet with Benavud today. I've got some questions to ask him.
---
Well, Ben's probably not from Chiso Preniv, or Rei'schu- between my questioning and Murry's he's debunked the latter, atleast. No instinctual knowledge of those places... Nor did he recognize Sami or Fasyk's names- not that I'd expect he would if they're fake IDs. Even so...
He knew what basketball was just by looking at a logo, and knew New Mexico was part of the United States. It's looking like he's from Earth- atleast, *AN* Earth. Whether he's from ours or not is up to debate. I'm tempted to ask him some generic meme or pop culture knowledge from the last 20 years, see what he knws or not.
We had a break in at the Overflow Station today. I stupidly ignored the first sensor alert- but the rest of the security that Calum had set up went on high alert when a full blown crew of saboteurs broke in.
There's significant damage to the facility's control consoles. Everything Sami was attempting to repair when Calum caught her and she shoved him over. It seems Calum's paranoia paid off in this regard though.
The cameras he hid in the equipment after? The recording equipment he set up to capture KI Numbers? It all *worked.* Smartly, the 'sabotage team' all wore masks- druidic styled wood carving masks, at that, for whatever reason. But, stupidly, they wore their KIs. We have Names and KI#s. The two 'missing' workers from the Overflow station were there as well.
Well, Calum's officially back. We'll see for how long, I suppose. I think I saw "Sami" again, on the surface again this afternoon, when I zipped up to the surface for some laundry doing and some grocery shopping. Wish she'd just reach out already if it's actually her. Good grief.
Cousin comes in tomorrow. Given I'm working until 3 or 4 tomorrow... I'll have to go over to my parents tomorrow late, and then drive over to aunt's to visit cousin. It'll be late, but atleast, given that it's getting to be summer now, it won't get dark until 8 or 9. So that's a relief I won't be driving in the dark.
Well, my leg is certianly sore and complaining after last night. Cousin En told me he'd warned his kids to not swing wildly in a certain tree-hanging rope chair, or it might break. Then I go sit in it and barely turn it around and the thing breaks on me.
Landed flat on by butt, and my left leg too, apparently. Whole thing's sore and was giving me grief last night. What an annoying thing. I'll have to skip the town hall today, I think.
---
Adding one more name to the roster of strange sabboteurs: Tally 11934822
Apparently they shoved Dni_Seeker 5 off a cliff in Todelmer, and smashed up some equipment.
6/23/22
Found Calum moping around in Naybree. Seemed he's pretty upset over what happened yesterday... Okay, 'moping' and 'pretty upset' are the wrong words. He was practically storming around while muttering/talking/shouting at himself in a near hysterical state.
I wasn't sure what to say, if I could say anything, even. He's just... so upset right now.
Funneling his frantic energy into surveying the cliffs and shoring up stability, sure, but. So upset. So very very upset.
6/24/22
That there are people who so clearly want to restrict a person's rights to bodily autonomy so severely....
I hate it. I hate it so much. I hate what it means for everyone going forwards.
The sky rains down upon us right this minute, for the world weaps over this malicious decision.
They won't stop at this.
6/26/22
Speaking of people who won't stop. I just spent the last 2 hours cleaning up chemical spills our sabbotaging ring of kleptomaniac thieves seem to have left behind around heavily trafficked book use areas. Nauseating smell even with the maintainer helmet on. I've got a headache now and I'm lying down in Naybree while Calum works on the cliffs still.
Poor DS5 got a whif of whatever this is without the helmet, and within short order he was complaining of a headache and the lights being bright... and while I suspect this may be just a him reaction, hallucinations of the probably memory reliving varriety.
After I finally got him to Tenny, I went to check the rest of Ae'gura over, didn't see anything out of place, and made my way back to the Clinic to wrap up the night. Right as I'm about to leave, I get a message from Iwonk that "Tally"- the sabboteur that attacked DS5 during his Todelmer work earlier this month- was seen in Ae'gura, ironically dousing a couple of the very areas I'd just checked.
I cleaned those up and handed the remains of these foul deeds over to Tenny to look over/send to someone to analyze.
Looks like one Marcus Johnson laced the Museum yesterday, and Sanna Koskelainen double checked it before going to the Kahlo Pub. I suppose after she got caught and escaped from Carl, they sent Tally in to do a much more sloppy, and obvious job?
Ugh. I hate the self-crushing anxiety of having said a thing while tired and immediately regret it. Work is going to be awkward the next few days. That it is...
In the mean time, I definitely saw "Sami" again- following me out of work briefly. This time we locked eyes, and I saw what Calum saw. A scared girl afraid for her life. I knew it was her, too, because she had a Relto book on her.
She didn't run, not at first. I think she might have been trying to work up the courage to talk-- except then I opened my mouth to speak-- And then someone blared a Chezahcen damned car horn, and she spooked- ran off and rounded a corner. I gave chase- only to watch her link out with the Relto.
Lovely. Absolutely lovely.
6/28/22
Have today off. Went to do some shopping- no signs of 'Sami' again. I think she's probably very spooked and regathering her courage again.
Helped Calum out with some marker testing. Looks like Zaroth's fix for the missions being deleted improperly, as well as preventing the duplication bug, has been a success. Calum looked very visibly relieved, to the point he just about passed out after writing into his journal about it. I left him to rest after that. And speaking of rest, it's a Relaxation Session Day. Time to go rest.
---
AGM order:
Pod before Mina, for Summer Festival.
---
DS5 spoke to me about dreams he's had- similar to Sophia's prophecy, it sounds like. That boy's either 'attuned' to things like the Madame is, or he's got a very crafty subconscious imagination.
6/29/22
Chezahcen, I'm tired. Just what I needed, it seems I received a threatening KI Mail sometime after I left relaxation session yesterday.
"Kelsei,
You might think you understand what you're dealing with, but I assure you, you don't.
This cavern, these Ages, are NOT YOURS.
If you have a problem with that, I can shove you off a cliff, just like I did to your friend Dni_seeker 5.
-Tally"
It's motivation at any rate. I'll have to talk with the others about this.
Work kicked my butt again today. Saw 'Sami' across the street today, but she ran off as soon as she saw I'd seen her. Damn it.
7/2/22
Tally's posted his little threatening message to the GoMePub Imager. How cute. I've cleared it off now.
7/7/22
Ami Renee Glessad. Sami Lesgrandee.
Whatever her real name is, she sent me, Calum, Jules, Carl, Tenny, and a few others KI invites to her hood- likely as an attention grabbing measure incase her publicly listing the hood on the Nexus didn't garner our attention.
She certainly garnered Mita Staser's attention. He showed up not long after she did, according to the visitor log. The place was a mess by the time I showed up. Cones and Marbles scattered everywhere, and the hood's book room doors forced open.
I spoke with a concerned explorer- who wishes to remain Anonymous- who told me they saw Ami briefly in Ae'gura the other night- only to flee. A few minutes later her "Uncle" came looking for her- name couldn't be remembered, unfortunately. Either Ami's family situation is seriously messed up, or one of our station saboteurs is pretending to be her Uncle. I'm not sure which is worse.
Most important of all, though, 'S/Ami' left a message on the imager. "Reaching Back. Speak to Harlan." Pretty sure that one was meant to be directed at me.
So. Big Question... Who the heck is Harlan?
---
Hung out with Benavud and D_S5 in Teledahn for a bit this afternoon.
Ben had... a very adverse reaction to seeing the Journey Door. Said something "BAD" was behind it. I think we may have stumbled on a truama unrelated to his current bout of amnesia.
Spoke with Jules, Tenny, and DS5 after about it, and the Mita and Ami situation. It's one of those days.
7/16/22
Eder Naybree's being scheduled for September some time, it seems, with Highgarden sometime in October after. I can't blame Calum for pushing for that scheduling, due to how busy August is looking for the both of us.
7/18/22
IT RAINS. Praise be the weather gods for it RAINS! (Alternatively, Thank you Yeesha/Chezahcen.)
7/20/22
Had a long interesting conversation between Logan, Jules, and DS5 today, sandwiching Fil Live. Between Ami apparently taking- and now returning and apologizing with a single imager message- the prybar from the pub, and catching Jules up on recent events after his trip to Stonehenge- STONEHENGE! I must hear more eventually- it's been a very long afternoon that feels strangely productive.
Logan is a good man, though DS5 seems outwardly suspicious of everyone these days (Plus the boy ate some cookies and then meandered off to K'veer. I hope he didn't get into trouble) and seemed to take Logan's genuine reactions to the news more suspiciously than Jules did- despite them having very similar reactions.
Tenny's found himself a good man. If only I could say the same for my own romantic endeavors. Calum is... not that observant of such things. Disappointing as that is I'm probably better off.
Still hurts though.
8/1/22
I'm exhausted. Had a long weekend after the insanity of having the Town Hall crashed by these sabboteurs. They think themselves as "D'ni" but use our tech in terms of what they've done. Sabbotaging equipment, laying a pepper-spray detterent chemical around places...
I'm on vacation until after Mysterium. Calum convinced me to pull the trigger on it a bit early considering I almost colapsed after finding Calum and Carl after the Town Hall.
8/21/22
Met with Jules and the New hire, Detective Williams. Nice guy, though a bit jumpy. Suppose that's always the case with a Private Investigator. Work is becoming an utter mess. I think I need to start looking for a new job somewhere else.
8/23/22
Jules and Catchen were talking in the library when I came in to work this morning. Robert Murry came in after a bit, too. We talked for a bit here and there about things- Jules gave a tour. It was nice.
Now if only I could de-stress from surface work. Once again feeling like my contributions to the company aren't being valued for what they are. It's a tad distressing, in all honesty. Some folks are acting utterly stupid around the people in my department. I'm going to talk to HR.
8/24/22
I have no idea what to make of this meeting with HR. I'm utterly confounded. HR was of no help with my plight- they told me to keep my head down or I'll screw up "the plan." They wouldn't tell me what. Something fishy is going on.
<pb>8/25/22
In retrospect, I have had an utter hell of a week at work on the surface. What plan? I finally got an answer. The "plan" is to apparently force a "No Confidence" vote-out of the boss, legal department's head, and the PR head rep' from their jobs and replace them with people of their own choosing- a coup in essence. Our company doesn't DO votes for who runs what. But that's besides the point. For what grounds is this "No Confidence" vote based?
Supposedly, Legal, the Boss, and PR are 'cutting people out of the loop' when it comes to contracts with our clients, and that's... wrong? Somehow? These idiots are acting like it's a grave sin that people are doing their jobs and handling communications with people.
I've... had a word with one of my friends in Legal. His facepalm was utterly predictable. "So that's why half the company isn't responding to basic emails anymore."
I'm going to file my resignation tomorrow. This is an explosion waiting to happen.
<pb>8/26/22
Filed Resignation, told my department to bail out before they get caught up in the insanity... Going to rest the rest of the weekend. Boss gave me the okay and everything. All my ducks in a row... I'm both going to miss and not miss this place.
8/29/22
I've been ignoring calls to come into work because HR has refused to accept my resignation. Legal accepted it, Boss accepted it, but HR is being stubborn. I think they know I tattled, if the way my voicemail has been filling up. I'm... going to just nap the next few days I think.
<pb>9/9/22
Naybree's been released. A big relief off my shoulders. Folks seemed to be enjoying it- climbing around everywhere and having fun. That's nice. Very nice. Didn't take long for people to find the back area or the jackets I left there... or to get up on the cliffs.
At any rate, people were happy, I'm happy, and now I'm just waiting on dinner.
I'm also tired, beyond hungry.
<pb>9/16/22
A week after release and there's still groups of people visiting Naybree... It's nice to see hard work appreciated.
Finally heard back from one of my coworkers who stayed. The whole situation has exploded, as expected. The Coup went off and the ousted folks were, indeed, given an option to either resign, or be 'forcibly removed by security.' (None of Security were in on it, apparently, so this was news to them.) They chose resignations... and since one of the people being ousted was the boss, he notified the client companies that he was breaking off to form a new company as it was clear he wasn't wanted at his current job- took everyone who was forced out with him.
The clients all went with him too.
I've been offered my old position back, with better pay, within the new reboot of the company- so too have all of those who resigned when I did. The coup leaders are now left not only with no clients, but no whave ex-clients who are suing them when they try to 'renegotiate' their contracts 'from a position of power.'
I sincerely don't know what any of them were thinking. I'm debating returning, honestly. Maybe now with the more toxic influences cut out, my work there won't be so... tiring? And yet, I've really enjoyed this time to myself the last few weeks.
<pb>9/23/22
Calum's gone and made a bowl of orange gelatin and brought it by my place this morning. It's pretty good to have some yummy gooey gelatin while making heavy decisions. I'm still debating my boss's offer to return to my old position at the new company or not. Indecisive? Me? Really?
Anyways he's found his Pod 12 book- apparently it got wedged between our desks somehow. Crisis Averted.
---
Spoke with DS_5, Cpt.Jericho, and a few others in Naybree today, regarding lore and speculation over things Chezahcen and Naybree.
Questions remain over the woman who saved Athsheba during the fall. What exactly did she mean with her strange remarks? What did she know? Was she a cohort of Veovis' turned on him? Was she an opportunistic hero? What exactly happened to her after?
<pb>9/27/22
PodHopper has posted his first draft at a Naybree clock to his website. I'm certainly enthusiastic to see how it evolves over time!
http://www.podhopper.dds.nl/naybreeclock/
According to his current calculations, Naybree's day is about 3 minutes and 36 seconds longer than the Pod Age's total time. That's a fascinating discrepancy- the ages will decidedly desynch from eachother over time, and resynch again... like blinking turn signals in cars, I'd imagine!
<pb>9/28/22
Well, met with my old boss today. I think I'll be coming back on a more part time basis, but not with the same ferverent constant grind that I was having before. Boss agreed and let me have it. Lovely! Negotiations successful. I think I'm going to nap now.
9/29/22
Spoke with Ben today and, oh. That-- I just. I don't know what to say in response. He's hurting so much and I don't know what to say to help him. Him being D'ni seems like such a world shaking thing for him and...
I don't know what to say. I don't know what to *do.* Even DS5 was uncharacteristicly silent afterwards. He tried to distract Ben, he did try, but... even Ben's lost memories seem unappetizing to him right now.
I don't know what else to write.
<pb>10/9/22
Well, that was a hectic week, helping to get a company back in working order. The boss is offering me a promotion for my work... I'm not sure I'm going to take it. Though, I'll certainly take the overtime pay for all the work in question already done. That's a handy catchup-boon after my weeks of unemployment.
In the mean time, I've got some more Caltauc translations to run through for Patrick. When did anyone even head out into Chiso's outsides again? I don't know. Been too busy, between Ben, Surface Work, Rei'schu stuff, and all kinds of other things...
I've totally missed the release of Highgarden. I don't think I've even visited it yet properly. Work for later.
---
How sweet, Calum got me a cup of coffee when my current mug was running dry. While my romantic inclinations towards him have started to fade (It's not worth pursuing something with someone who's clearly not interested in a relationship of that type), I still can't help but smile fondly over simple jestures of kindness and friendship. Now if only things could go better on that front.
Even so, these Caltauc translations won't finish themselves.
<pb>10/11/22
Met Tenny's grandmum, Molly, last night. Sweet lady, very protective of Tenny, and wanting to make sure he's dating a good man. I got a brief interrogation about Logan- heheh. How nice.
In other news it seems Firmament's been delayed to early next year. Can't say I'm surprised, but I'm also not disappointed either. More polish time is more polish time. And Iwonk would say the best kind of time is Polish Time. :P
<pb>10/18/22
Well. That was a day. Between prepping for Rei'schu, meeting Ben again, and then joining a fraught diplomatic mission that went full speed into chaotic territory and a DUEL of all things--!
The others have all gone home at this stage. Calum and I are staying- at Runa'mei's request- overnight atleast. Calum's already hard at work transcribing Tenny's notes from the day's activities onto a travel laptop.
Runa'mei is... lonely, that's the impression I get. She took us to the room she stays in when she's here in this massive fortress of a city, and it's... so empty, despite being so grand. Without the day's stress hanging upon her she's relaxed into a friendly sort of person. She's clearly exhausted by the work put upon her by her title, but can't find a way to extricate herself from it.
Needless to say, I think she's in desperate need of friends. Plural. Calum's a decent start as far as friendly faces go, but even I know how exhausted he gets being some people's only point of contact. I'll do what I can as well for the girl, but I'm hoping, perhaps, we can find a way to get her to come Visit D'ni sooner rather than later.
<pb>10/25/22
I'm not sure if I was hallucinating it again or not, but I think I saw Ami again this morning while out getting yesterday's mail. She looked like her, just... cleaner? More well rested? It was that confusion that lead me to hesitate, and then... she just left. If this WAS Ami, she knows where I live, so it's not implausible she's going to reach out to me when she's ready. I just... have to keep an open mind for that, I guess.
Truth be told I was hoping we'd heard the last of all of this nonsense when they stopped showing up. Now Calum's paranoia over his missing pod 12 book feels arguably justified. Did someone take it and return it?
---
I have half a mind to survey the grounds outside of Naybree proper. Seems like there may be a beach nearby, or atleast decent river front. I'll probably save such explorations for after the New Year, though.
<pb>10/26/22
Had Tiki's lost Gnome mailed to my door this morning. Ay yi yi, why did this mess have to start resurfacing now of all times?
10/27/22
Doobes has gotten the doors in Ahnonay working properly now, it seems like. Hopefully we won't be having any more issues with that going forwards.
10/31/22
Happy Halloween. I've been mailed yet more 'missing' artifacts from the community. A speaker system, a space heater... Good grief.
In other news, Cyan announced their RIVEN remake today. That was about expected, to be frank. Happy 25th anniversary, Riven. I expect we'll hear more after Firmament.
11/1/22
This journal is getting pretty full at this point. Honestly, I think I'm about ready to finish it up and start another. Yet more missing artifacts showed up this morning as well. ...Is that Calum's chess set in here too? Why not send this to him directly? Someone's decided to test the waters, I suppose.
I expect I'll probably barely squeeze November and December into this book- but that'll probably be it. You've done a good job little green journal.]]></translation>
