Cavern Citizen

Happy New Year 2007!

2007-01-01T15:30:00.000-05:00

Hahr rahm gah shoraht, everyone! My last hours of 2006 were well-spent with a party at the Uru Obsession hood. I left to watch the ball drop with loved ones from the surface, but I still had a great time down in D'ni.

I hope everyone had a good 2006, and that everyone will have an awesome 2007!

We Begin Again

2006-12-30T20:33:00.000-05:00

Well, the restoration has begun. That Bahro scream ushered in a (not-so) new era of the DRC being their usual cautious selves. Apparently the cavern went through some structural damage (it's unknown if the scream was the cause or just a symptom), so many things have been blocked off. Ae'gura suffered the most--we're limited up to the Great Stair, and even the docks are closed. The hoods had taken damage in the community rooms, but they were opened up again yesterday. The heek tables are back, albeit broken. They've even put up New Year's decorations. And, amazingly, after three years, they finally got the Gallery doors to work!

The DRC have been visiting quite often, although I've only ran into Wheely (Engberg's daughter) and Moke (a Cyanist) so far. I took a tour at Beginner's Bevin and chatted with a ResEng too. Still, things have been going slow.

Yet despite the apparent calm, there is a layer of unknown changes occurring. The DRC might have a new leader, known as Cate. Yeesha has given us access to the alternate Kadish Vault and an alternate cavern as well (accessed via the brown book in Relto). And while the Bahro haven't been agitated like they were on that Tuesday, something is still up with them, I can feel it.

I had a bad dream a few nights ago. I was given a new link to another balcony overlooking Tokotah. But I linked right into a massive earthquake that shook the cavern to its core. I dimly remember wandering through the rubble, but it's the earthquake that still stands out in my mind. My slight anxiety is forgotten when I visit D'ni and my friends, but at night I sometimes can't shake that sense of...I don't know what.

Agh, I've been worrying too much over a silly dream. Nothing like that is going to happen. The future is bright, and no matter what might come our way, you can't keep us explorers down!

What was THAT!?

2006-12-19T14:16:00.000-05:00

I didn't make it to the Town Hall meeting with the DRC today--the hoods they held it in were overflowing, so I decided to stay in Ae'gura while people reported on the Q&A. I was surprised by the constant bahro screeches. I heard they've increased somewhat during the past few months, but today, it was just unreal--literally several cries every minute or so.

Then, I heard a bahro shriek so deafening, my ears are still ringing. Then--get this--everyone in the city, including myself, were suddenly sent to their Reltos! Is this Yeesha's doing? What in the world is going on??

A New Beginning

2006-12-18T20:16:00.000-05:00

It still hasn't sunk in for me that tomorrow will usher in a second chance at D'ni's restoration. I still can't really believe it. Has it been an entire year from Laxman posting gibberish test posts to d'mahlah to uru?! Thanks go out to the Cyanists and Gametappers who helped to make this financially possible, and my fellow explorers for keeping the torch burning for two years now.

When I first felt the Call, it was April 2004, so obviously I found myself exploring the Ages alone. Now, I can't wait to explore new Ages with friends!

A Touch of Fun

2006-12-17T12:07:00.000-05:00

A couple of days ago, I read on the DRC forums that someone left their toy behind in Kadish. Of course, I visited the Age. I found, nestled amongst the tree trunks near the the third telescope, a D'ni soccer ball! Explorers have already translated the script on the ball: "This is a D'ni soccer ball." Hee! There's another one in Ae'gura as well. They probably belong to the ResEngs as a way to destress before they start working again. I played with the Kadish ball for a few minutes--with my finals and projects, I need to destress too!

Don't believe everything you hear

2006-12-05T11:48:00.000-05:00

Apparently all those rumors about Ae'gura being closed off and everything I mentioned in my last entry were completely unfounded. I went to the city myself and saw that everything was just fine. I should've checked first before propagating false info. Sorry if I frightened anyone!

Destruction is Coming...

2006-12-03T18:14:00.000-05:00

Here I am, trying to focus on all the schoolwork I have. I should be focusing on it, seeing as I'm graduating and all. But it's hard to do as I keep getting distracted by the scattered reports coming in.

All of Ae'gura blocked off apart from the Ferry Terminal Nexus, the Pub and the Great Stair. Other areas of Ages also possibly blocked off. Books disappearing. Odd objects popping up in Reltos. The Great Zero no longer listed in the Nexus. KIs acting up. Strange and terse messages from the DRC, that is, assuming they actually are from the DRC. And most troubling, Yeesha's message, reported by The Cavern Today.

I don't doubt Yeesha when she says destruction is coming. But I worry that it might not come from an external force. My main fear is that this might end up being a self-fulfilling prophecy. It would be possible to unite against a common enemy. Not easy, but possible. But if baseless paranoia wins the day, it would pull the cavern apart, this time possibly for good.

I worry for us explorers. It's hard to marvel at wonders when you're constantly looking over your shoulder. I worry for the DRC and the ResEngs too--I hope they're just busy and not in danger. I worry for the Cyanists and Gametappers, partly for their safety, and partly for selfishness: if they think that the restoration is in trouble, they might pull their financial support.

We are so close...we must weather this storm...

Kadish Glow Room Dreamin'

2006-12-01T09:28:00.000-05:00

This is the third (and last) journal entry regarding D'ni and my lighting design class.

Journal Entry #12
Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Location: Kadish Tolesa

I'm in what we call the Glow Room in Kadish Tolesa. This Age had the most fiendish puzzles, which fits the D'ni peoples' obsession with them. Granted, all the puzzle solutions are seen in his Gallery in the City, but it is very difficult to figure out just what solutions the paintings and triptychs are trying to convey. Now I travel through the Age with ease, but two years ago, I was banging my head on the stone in frustration...

The theme for all the puzzles is what is hidden, and the Glow Room is no exception. From the upper spiraling walkway, you see the ground divided into random shapes, and a wooden door at the end. When you reach the bottom you see five buttons, which light up certain parts of the ground. Checking the Gallery painting, you realize that you have to push buttons 2, 3, and 5. I, like many others, thought that you had to press those buttons and walk in the path of light to reach and open the door. But good ol' Guild Master Kadish was a deceiving son of a bitch—the door is a red herring. After many angry attempts of walking in the light only to bump into a door that refused to open, I tried the opposite: walking in the dark. I was right—you walk the path of darkness that leads to the middle of the room, then a small hidden spiral stairway opens up beneath your feet.

Sad to say, this puzzle wasn't even the hard one in the Age. Don't get me started about the damn ziggurat...

Teledahn Dreamin'

2006-10-24T00:33:00.000-04:00

I had to write another journal entry for my Lighting Design class, so I chose Teledahn as my subject. I haven't gotten any negative feedback or strange looks from my professor, so I guess she has no problem with the occasional "odd" entry.

Journal Entry #6
Date: Monday, October 23, 2006
Time: 11:45pm EDT – 9:45pm Cavern Time (aka Mountain Time)
Location: The Age of Teledahn
Weather: Warm, muggy

I'm sitting on the other end of what I can traverse in Teledahn. The Age is a swamp, with giant mushrooms and rusty machinery poking out of the murk. The machinery was used by the D'ni originally to harvest a type of bread that was made out of the mushrooms. This “resource” Age housed more than the resource of food, but I will not go into that dark truth here.

The mushrooms shed many spores which are hell on my sinuses, but here at the ocean, its' not so bad. It's a shame that my allergies don't permit me to stay in Teledahn for long periods of time, for the Age's environment itself is lovely, even if its secrets are far less pleasant. The metal walkway here is a great place to view Teledahn's main wonder: the sun races across the sky like a chariot at full tilt! In the time it took me to write this entry so far, it has made three full rotations. It still amazes me that five minutes equals close to three days here! My long shadow constantly spins at my feet. In daytime the sky is sickly yellow, but at night it is a lovely deep blue, with the stars shining through the constant thin cloud cover as if they were faint glitter. And when I operate the small machine that releases a quick shower of spores into the water, occasionally “Shroomie” appears, Teledahn's version of the Loch Ness Monster. She's real, but unfortunately, the spore fish food won't coax her out tonight.

Voting Time Again

2006-10-22T00:20:00.000-04:00

The time has come once again to vote for the next set of Liasons. Go to the following site to read up on all the candidates and cast your votes:

http://uruvote.stoneship.org/

Even if all the inevitable drama surrounding elections turns you off, please don't let it turn you off from voting and taking a quiet but defining part in cavern democracy.

Kadish Dreamin'

2006-09-24T23:49:00.000-04:00

One of my classes that I'm taking in college is Lighting Design for my theater degree. One of the ongoing assignments is to write a journal entry once a week about or everyday experiences with light (like sunrises and sunsets, etc.). It might be unfair for me to have a bit of an advantage here: while my fellow classmates only have one world to draw their experiences from, I have Ages like Kadish and Teledahn at my disposal to write about. There's a risk that my professor will think that my first entry is pure fiction and write me up as merely an obsessive Myst fan (and a lunatic to boot), but I still want to share this with my class. Regardless, I hope that at least you guys will appreciate it.

Journal Entry #1
Date: Sunday, September 24, 2006
Time: 10:20pm EDT – 8:20pm Cavern Time (aka Mountain Time)
Location: The Age called Kadish Tolesa
Weather: Fair and dry

[From my diary—June 10, 2005]
I had forgotten how peaceful it is in Kadish Tolesa. I'm at my favorite spot, when you make your way out of the forest's dark shadow, and you come upon the skyline. How soothing it is just to sit and listen to the wind, the creaks of the trees, the bird calls and the buzzes of insects. Lavender shade kisses the tree trunks that never end, all the way down to the ground. The sun and moon, pale brothers, rest together in the sky. They and every creature here watch over a man's broken house of pride.
Tehlnahvah (Guild Master) Kadish was truly a rich man, though he never recognized it where it mattered. He Wrote one of the most beautiful Ages I have ever seen (the place almost rivals Atrus' worlds) and he treated it as nothing more than a mere storehouse, a living vault. A bank for the Great Grand False “Grower”.
Truly, the skyline here is worth more than all the piles of gold he died with.

I wrote that entry over a year ago. Conditions have changed since then. Last year, I sat here, sad that the explorers' numbers continued to dwindle yet grateful of the limited opportunity just to see such beauty. Today, I sit here with excitement and joy in my heart, the planned revival of the cavern city's restoration getting closer with each passing day. I impatiently ask myself the same questions over and over: What other worlds will we find? Will our missing colleagues return? Will our funding remain stable this time? Will more and more people find their way here and make a home with us? And will she come again to give us wisdom?

Yet coming here calms me down and eases my impatience for a time. Purple is my favorite color, and in this world, this Age, I see it in all its forms, from deep violet to gentle lavenders, set in the sky in layers from bottom to top. The broken pillars frame the sky perfectly, like a painting. The impossibly tall and thin trees are a pale black outline against the light that both the sun and moon give out. The clouds obscure the moon quite a bit. The sun is bare, but shines so gently, like our sun in winter--as a pale pearl against the gray. All of this gives off a barely noticeable blue tinge to the ground. This world is in a permanent state of both dusk and dawn; a testament to the skill of Kadish's Writing (it's technically NOT creation, but it is the easiest way of explaining the Art) of this Age.

I find this place so much more relaxing than any of the Garden Ages or eder tomahntee (“rest areas”) that we explorers have been given access to. In fact, this was the very place where I first fell in love with the Ages of the D'ni cavern. I hope that it will end up being only one world, one Book, out of hundreds that we will find underground, in the libraries of this lost civilization that I have grown to adore and think of as my second home.

Citizen's Update 08/11/06

2006-08-11T23:14:00.000-04:00

I got quite a fright a couple of nights ago. Of late, when I've been visiting D'ni, I've done so alone. Taking a walk amongst the Ages is a great way to relax, and dream of what the future might hold for us explorers.

I found myself linking in to the D'ni Explorers Guild 'hood. According to the visitor log, it's been the first time that the hood has seen a soul in at least a month. I decided to spend some time in one of the prayer rooms. I even locked the door behind me for extra privacy. I was staring, deep in thought, at the floating seed, when suddenly a loud grating sound occurred behind my back.

I've never spent enough time in the prayer rooms to realize that the doors automatically open after a few minutes, presumably to make sure that no one passes out from oxygen deprivation or generally gets trapped. I must've jumped out of my skin! I ran out of the room and called out, but no one answered. I checked my KI and the visitor log to make sure. I was the only one there.

On a more exciting note, another group of Authorized Explorers has started their work. Again, I'm not in this group either. I counter my disappointment with the reminder that we'll all have a chance to make our mark on the restoration eventually.

Holding Down The Old Fort

2006-08-03T01:59:00.000-04:00

In mid-July, I got to attend the first Town Hall meeting with Rand Miller. I was too shy to ask a question though. For me, it was his (and Cyan's) interpretations of Atrus' life story that drew me to D'ni, and his portrayal of Atrus that made me care deeply for the real Atrus himself. So you can forgive me for being too nervous to talk to him.

However, I was able to overcome my shyness for the second meeting with Rand and several Gametap representatives. It shocked me to hear them being introduced:
--Blake Lewin, VP of Product Development and Innovation, Turner
--David Reid - VP of Marketing, GameTap
--Trent Hershenson - Uru Marketing Lead, GameTap
--Ron Meiners (aka randomos) - Uru Community Manager, GameTap
This is nothing like Ubisoft's half-hearted support two years ago. When Vice-Presidents come down to the cavern itself to give us news and take the community's questions, it shows that they are not only supportive of Cyan's projects, but the restoration itself. And seeing as they all held Relto books, maybe they're taking the Journey as well!

I got to ask the final question: if Gametap was going to release Cyan's earlier games, like Cosmic Osmo. The answer was yes. In fact, I just heard that they're planning on releasing both Cosmic Osmo and The Manhole this September!

Also, Mysterium has just come and gone, and while I couldn't attend, I'm happy to see all the pictures, stories, and videos that people have uploaded. With all the optimism in the air and the future looking bright, it's a special Mysterium for us all.

And today, the first group of Authorized Explorers was allowed to assist the DRC. Maybe they got to visit those new Garden Ages. Unfortunately, I wasn't chosen, so I'll just have to keep refreshing my email for the next set of invites. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long!

For my part, I'll keep holding down the fort. I've already done the one small thing I could do to support the restoration effort: signed up for Gametap and received a free month of service. I encourage you to do the same by clicking the following link. Not only will you get to play plenty of games to keep you busy until the restoration returns full-swing, you will give financial support to Cyan Worlds itself and state proudly to Gametap that you wish to see D'ni renewed.

http://www.gametap.com/home/Home?mcd=CMT06202006000080&coupon=urulive

Wake Up And Smile! With Dr. Kodama

2006-06-21T00:50:00.000-04:00

I attended the DRC morning meeting concerning the restoration efforts in Ae'gura and the City. The evening meeting with Laxman last week was a bust (birthday boy was partying too hard to remember to show up), so my first-ever DRC member was Dr. Kodama. And it turns out that he really is the cheerful little ray of sunshine I had heard about. Yikes, DRC meetings with Sharper and Kodama-kun butting heads must've been a headache-inducing nightmare for everyone else. Oh well, I don't have to work with the guy, and he did answer my questions:

They have found lots of evidence of the Relyimah, which somewhat surprises me. I figured such a secretive organization would have done more to wipe out all traces of their own existence, even when they were called out and "officially" disbanded (and who knows if they weren't still lurking around unofficially).

They also found evidence of works from the Minor Guild of Actors. I'd love to have a translated D'ni script and learn more about the guild than just a blurb in the King Naygen notebook. Maybe some explorers could get a full D'ni theater production up and running!

Mission(s) Accomplished

2006-06-14T17:30:00.000-04:00

I finally got my KI fully calibrated with the Great Zero! No more marker missions! Unfortunately, I've read the notes from Laxman's morning meeting, and if this "extra data" in the lattice forces Laxman to restart the GZ, I will cry.

And speaking of meetings, I enjoyed attending Cyanist Moke's meeting in May and I hope to attend tonight's. I have never met a DRC member before. I've got a couple of questions for Laxman, one about the GZ and the other about the two new Ages listed on their site!

Eder Tsogahl (Phase Three) and Rahtevnee (Phase Two), along with the possibility of the Hood Game Room and Katha Island being opened. Katha has me the most interested: a haunted mansion with D'ni puzzles made by Faresh the illusionist. The mystery of his daughter's death and what the Relyimah did in the mansion after they were given ownership of it intrigues me. Lots of hidden puzzles and secret rooms just waiting to be explored!

Nervous Energy

2006-05-25T20:50:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling antsy since my school semester ended a few days ago. All the class projects and papers I've done served as unwanted distractions from the work in D'ni that I really wanted to do. Now I have the time, but I have no real idea of what I want to accomplish!

Don't you hate it when you feel all these half-formed ideas flitting about in your brain, but they absolutely refuse to be pinned down on paper? I'd love to do excavation alongside the DRC, but they're too busy with the restoration to babysit a wanna-be archaeologist. I'd love to take another journey, but who knows when she will come again? I can't even take a "vacation" and go somewhere else--the cavern is pulling me yet again, physically and mentally. Ah, the sweetest obsession.

We all know that with the funding secured, it's only a matter of time until the DRC can start slowly bringing explorers back into the fold. But how in heaven's name will I occupy myself until then?! It's like the anticipation of Christmas Eve, only you won't get your gifts until months later!

Gah, this nervous energy is starting to get to me.

GZ Calibrated?

2006-05-20T01:30:00.000-04:00

Apparently the DRC has fixed enough of the Great Zero so now those who have finished calibrating their KIs can create marker games. Now I have a reason to finish the marker missions.

It's Back!

2006-05-10T10:37:00.000-04:00

[This post is OOC but I don't care]:

URU LIVES AGAIN!!!

http://urulive.cyanworlds.com/blog/

Back Home

2006-04-24T16:19:00.000-04:00

I came back to my room on Friday evening after classes, tired and not looking forward to another boring weekend on the surface. That all changed when I saw the package I've been waiting almost two long months for: my Relto book had returned! It's back in perfect condition. I immediately linked.

I've been too busy walking through the Ages and the city to post here, but I have been keeping up with news. The liasons were elected, Town Hall meetings will start this week, and the DRC has been restoring a new Age, Eder Delin!

It will be an interesting challenge juggling school and D'ni, but all in all, it feels wonderful to be back home!

The Polls Are Open!

2006-04-04T22:53:00.000-04:00

The voting period for the five liasons has opened. I've done my part and voted, and feel free to do the same at http://www.uruchoice.com. The polls are open for 10 days, so you will have plenty of time to read up on all the candidates and make your choices. After that, the ball will be in the DRC's court. I'm hoping that once the liasons are selected, the DRC will start meeting with them as soon as possible.

Still Shut Out

2006-03-29T20:10:00.000-05:00

It's been about a month since I've last been able to enter the cavern, but it feels like a year. And the absence is driving me mad.

I should have gotten my Relto book fixed much earlier. But like a fool, I kept putting it off. "Gee, the book is starting to fray at the edges, but nothing serious. " "Oh, I'm too busy to go to D'ni anyway this week." It wasn't until my book fell apart to my touch after the Restoration Memorial party that I realized my only link to the cavern was in serious danger. Yeesha might've given me another one--if I could find her. So, in sheer desperation, I did something perhaps even more unwise than my procrastination. I gave my book to a refurbishment company for repairs.

I gave my enigmatic instructions as best I could. "Hey guys, thanks for your help. Please fix the binding without touching the pages. Call me when you're done!" They probably thought I was nuts, but I'm sure they don't care as long as they get paid. Apparently as of today they're waiting for the cover's replacement. No word on an estimated time of arrival. I hope my Relto isn't swarming with frightened bookbinders!

So I've been watching the DRC forums and waiting for my Relto to return to me. It's ironic; I've been telling as many people as I can to come to the cavern, yet I can't join them myself. I feel so cut off. My patience is starting to wane, and the Call is getting stronger. I have a growing fear that I will return too late, that the financial backers will get cold feet and I again will miss my chance to see D'ni in the middle of restoration.

And the worst part of it all is that I have no one to blame but myself.

Come To D'ni...You're Needed!

2006-03-12T23:07:00.000-05:00

The call has been sounded. The DRC needs to show its investors that D'ni's restoration is a viable enterprise, and the best way to show your support is to come to D'mala. Whether you're totally new to the cavern, or haven't had the heart to go back since the original restoration ended, or you drifted away from the Ages for whatever reason, now is the time to put aside that past to write a possible new future. A future that sees D'ni alive once more. A future that has the great tree growing again. A future that is Uru!

http://plasma.cyanworlds.com

Name Change

2006-03-06T00:31:00.000-05:00

Just a heads-up, I've decided to change my cavern "handle" throughout the entire community. So from now on, I'm no longer GallifreyLady, but Sorceress. I've always loved the name Sorceress, but when I first discovered this community two years ago, my latest obsession was with the TV cult classic Doctor Who. I still enjoy the show, but I'm not quite the avid Whovian I used to be (actually, D'ni and Cyan's games are to blame for that decline!).

So, Sorceress it is now. Sounds mysterious, powerful.

DRC-Explorer Liasons

2006-03-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

The community is working furiously toward the goal of appointing five liasons that would open the lines of communication between the DRC and the explorers. While all of this sounds interesting, and a part of me would like to be a part of this (I did say I was greedy for information), the rest of me will stay far away from it (not that I have much of a choice--my Relto book is still away for repairs).

It's not that I hate the DRC; I was as thrilled as everyone else was when they posted again at the forums. I just don't know what their intentions are as to restoration. I also don't like getting into something before I even know the full job description.

I don't know how to explain my feelings about this development very well, but I think The Watcher can sum it up for me: "What will crush you? The weight of ordinances and laws. What will lift you? The wings of a heart for the Maker." I was never one for politics, anyway. And it's not that I'm that well-known in the cavern, if we end up voting democratically about it.

Besides, I'm glad to see the DRC return, I suppose, but they weren't the ones I've been waiting for.

I've been waiting for her.

D'mahlah

2006-02-15T21:08:00.000-05:00

D'mahlah. Return. Gather. What a beautiful word.

Rotten Luck

2006-02-13T18:53:00.000-05:00

Marie has posted about a gathering of the explorers to be occurring sometime this week. Our patience could finally be paying off.

But I'm afraid I'll have to be more patient than most...my Relto book got damaged! I'm shipping it to a place that can restore books (they'll have to be extra-careful with this one!), but it will take about 20 days for them to fix it. I'm in college up at Amherst Massachusetts, and I haven't found anyone who has been "Called" here, so no using another's Relto for me. And I can't exactly just quit school and hop on a plane to New Mexico either.

At least I have computer access at my local library, so I can still keep track of all the news and goings-on. I do feel a bit less depressed about this bout of ill-luck. But still, I think I'm going to cry about missing whatever happens this week. Two years of waiting, and finally something is going happen, and now I can't be a part of it! My Relto book can't take its place at my hip again soon enough!

Give Me D'ni

2006-02-09T01:24:00.000-05:00

This poem goes out to all the explorers, the DRC, Yeesha, Cyan Worlds, and the mystery funder.

Give me another journey.
Give me a path to follow.
Give me a new beginning.
Give me D'ni.

Give me a story.
Give me the Ages.
Give me the cavern.
Give me D'ni.

Give me a flutter in the heart.
Give me a rush of adrenaline.
Give me a reason to smile.
Give me D'ni.

Give us news.
Give us an announcement.
Give us joy.
Give us D'ni.

Proposal?

2006-02-03T00:48:00.000-05:00

Laxman is planning a meeting of the minds for a tentative date of tomorrow. Apparently, "the scattering of people still visiting the cavern is problematic." Laxman was the one who reopened the cavern to the community again, so I don't think that we're a nuisance to him. At least, I hope not.

Maybe a temporary exodus from the cavern is needed for a grand re-opening. We can only wait and see.

I'm anxious for the mysterious proposal to be reported to us soon, if not tomorrow.

Corrections and Theories

2006-01-23T17:42:00.000-05:00

This post is overdue.

Apparently that Chris Clement fellow might not be a ResEng after all. If he is, he's forgotten/lost his security code for the forums. We haven't heard back from him in almost a week. So now we're back to waiting and watching.

But I have a theory.

The DRC left the cavern on February 9th, 2004. If this meeting with "some guy" is about a second attempt at a restoration, wouldn't February 10th be an appropriate day for an official announcement? It would be a nice anniversary present...

Paranoia will destroy ya

2006-01-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

Since Victor's post yesterday, another Restoration Engineer (ResEng141) has introduced himself on the DRC forums.

The problem is, after the recent incident with "The Healer" (who turned out to be nothing but some guy who took advantage of the community's excitement and just wanted to stir things up), some of us are doubtful if ResEng141 is an actual Engineer and not another guy who's just jerking our chain. A part of me entertained that possibility, but my instincts tell me that he's not lying. His language has been concise and clear, and he hasn't sent us off on wild puzzle chases or posted obtuse misspelled riddles (not yet anyway).

I'd just hate to see one charlatan make an otherwise very friendly and open community a paranoid, distrustful one.

Still, maybe I should contact the mod, ResEng233, and ask if he knows this person.

UPDATE: I've PMed the mod about this. Hopefully he'll respond.

UPDATE #2: Phew. Turns out ResEng141 is the real deal. He's very nice and friendly!

Knick-knack, paddy-whack

2006-01-16T23:29:00.000-05:00

Laxman gave us dogs a bone today. No meat on it, but still good to chew on.

I just wonder that since Laxman has contacted all the DRC Superfriends, why he didn't mention Watson. Either he merely forgot to put down his name, or he hasn't been able to reach him, or they had a falling-out. I know Watson took Yeesha's journey. That could be a potential source of contention between them.

Or I'm just making a mountain out of a single bone.

Someone's watching...

2006-01-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

Apparently we aren't the only people who lurk at the forums--Marie Sutherland replied to his post. No new information, just her wondering if Laxman's email address was still the same. Some have sent an email to Laxman at the address he posted when the DRC left, vlaxman@drcsite.org, but no responses so far. I'm so excited I'm going crazy!

Shorah!

2006-01-01T20:24:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. My name is Samantha, but people in the cavern know me as GallifreyLady. Granted, various happenings on the surface have prevented me from visiting Ae'gura of late, and I regret it.

It's odd and unexplainable, but it feels so good and right when the cavern calls. Even when I can't visit, it's always in my thoughts. D'ni. The Ages. So beautiful, so painful. So wonderful when filled with other explorers.

When I'm away and my thoughts are bent entirely to the cavern to the point of obsession, I get the sense that something is about to happen. And this time, something has!

It has been almost two years since the DRC forums have seen any activity. But a few days ago, out of the blue, Victor Laxman made a few posts. Two were mere tests, but the third was a call to any other DRCers saying that "Some guy has some questions and would like to talk with us. It's probably worth at least a chat."

Needless to say, the entire community is flipping out. After all this time, is the DRC making another restoration attempt?

My thoughts are all over the place. I wasn't in D'ni when the DRC were around. I felt and answered the call too late, and by the time I finished Yeesha's request and finally linked to the city, the DRC was long gone. What little I know about the conflicts of the time has been gleaned from the occasional KI log and stories from explorers who were there.

Well, I know enough to realize that the old arguments are starting to be dredged up yet again. Who's right, the DRC or Yeesha? But we know that several DRC members took her journeys. If they are returning to D'ni, will they try to rebuild the "dried dead skeleton" again, or will they follow Yeesha's ideal of a spiritual restoration?

I haven't taken any real sides yet. I follow and believe in Yeesha, the Grower. I know that D'ni is not about the cavern or even the Ages, but about heart and mind, as The Watcher said. Yet I can't deny that I'm dying to see more Ages, even explore the city proper. I'm greedy for information. I was ecstatic to discover all those books on the 34 Kings in the Palace, but it wasn't enough for me. The Common Library on Ae'gura could be filled with linking books, journals, research notebooks, and stories, and I still would not be satisfied! And if the DRC can give me more of this...

Ah well. Nothing new has been posted, so all we can do is speculate. Watch and wait, following the patient path. That's all I can do for now.