Esto - Homework...

The past week on the surface has been hectic to say the least.  Stack that with a resurgence of interest in various hobbies of mine has made if difficult to focus on my studies. Tonight I find myself sleepless in my Relto with an odd feeling in my stomach and a struggling clarity of mind despite a growing desire to sleep.  I may consider moving my work to Sharper's office as I'm running out of room here with a cot, a desk, and an increasing number of books - some in D'ni, some about D'ni, and some about Cell Biology.  No matter.  I'll relocate tomorrow.  The change of scenery will do me good.

Tonight I'll keep working on this passage.  It has me stumped as how to exactly describe it.  Realizing how delicate rehgehstoy is, I find myself slaving over issues like this again and again, despite knowing the ink and paper I'm using is regular.  It's the 'words' themselves.  They're too powerful - almost too specific; the slightest mistake could lead to a completely different age than intended - not to mention that it could be unstable.  I realize now why the D'ni rarely set out to write a specific age.  It’s difficult enough to describe a stable age without any inconsistencies.  I'm sure I will have to write many ages before I can write this dream into the pages.

Pantaleon - The Ki is Key

Once I was oriented with my new surroundings I began to get a feel for the area. This place was very strange.  An island in the clouds with a just single structure.  This is Relto.  Linking is truly a wondrous thing.  I cannot imagine the complexities of how it works or how these books are created so that a person can link through worlds.  I opened the book I had copied and saw within an image of my home.  A link back home! Absolutely amazing!

I was prepared for another link. I opened the doors and walked into the hut. I placed my link home on the bottom shelf; picked up the only other book on the shelf; and linked. Linking the second time was easier. The charge surged through my body and the image of Bevin expanded around me as I was wrapped around by stars and heavenly bodies until I found myself safely in Bevin.

There I met Esto. There was one last task before we could explore D'ni. I was to go to Gahreesen; there I could acquire a device known as a KI that could take photos, record notes, and allow me to contact and message people across different ages. Esto showed me the KI on his hand. Technology like that far surpasses anything I have known. After arriving in Gahreesen, it did not take me long to locate the machine. I placed my hand in the machine and moments later I had a KI of my own! I returned to Bevin. After my long wait I would finally be able to witness the civilization of D’ni!

Pantaleon - Relto

Esto and I ascended together.  During the climb he described D'ni culture, religion, guilds, and other noteworthy things.  Esto went in-depth into Linking and Rehgestoy, these concepts were still difficult to grasp but it was all in an attempt to explain the book I obtained - Relto.  By the time Esto was finished explaining everything we arrived at the Cleft.  He then handed me a vial of pitch-black ink; told me to be careful not lose it; and then placed the palm of his hand on his Relto and then vanished into thin air.

Being 50 miles from the nearest city of Carlsbad I felt stranded.  How could I return home from this place?  Am I expected to make the long hike to the nearest town?  I had no real choice in the matter.  The trek would have to be made on foot.  After walking for a short time, I heard a vehicle off in the distance, expecting it to be a figment of my imagination or mirage I kept walking.

The driver waved me down.  The driver, Jeff Zandi, mentioned that he had been away to get some supplies though normally he watches for any new travelers who hear The Call.  The best news of all was that he could take me to Carlsbad where I could then take a bus home!

We set out on our Journey.  I dared not look back at the Cleft.  There was a pain in knowing that the physical pathway to D’ni was broken.  Any person drawn to D'ni by The Call would not be able to take the path below the caldera - the link between surface and cavern.

Jeff explained how his father, Elias Zandi, died of a heart attack while funding and restoring D'ni through the DRF (D’ni Restoration Foundation).  His father believed those who felt the same need to explore, discover, and learn new things would be D'ni even if not by blood.  Jeff also explained that his father’s philosophical views of D'ni being that restoration should be primarily spiritual which fell into disagreements with the DRC nonetheless his contributions helped rebuild D’ni.  I felt sorry for Jeff.   He lost his father in a great historical undertaking.  I thanked Jeff and told I’d try to keep in touch.

TWO DAYS LATER

Home at last!  I unpacked the ink, carefully, and started copying the symbols from the one book into the blank book.  I wondered what the symbols meant.  How did they function?  Why did I have to do this at home?  What would happen next?

I finished my task and then immediately called Esto.  My next task was quite simple: Link to the Relto while holding the copied book then place the book in the bookshelf.  We would meet in Bevin which I could reach from the only other book on the shelf.  From that point on I could visit D'ni on my time.

THE FIRST LINK

Linking.  It took some time to gather the courage to touch the image that lay before me.  I witnessed Esto vanishing into thin air, however, I still had trouble believing what I witnessed.  After placing both of the books in my pocket I was ready to link.  Then I touched the image.

I felt a small surge of electricity pass through my body.  Almost instantaneously my home surroundings vanished into a flowing whirlpool of time and space.  Stars and galaxies filled the void until eventually the image I touched on the page began forming from the chaos.  Swirls of vibrant colors consumed everything then ground lifted, the sky filled, and the world that I touched became reality in a matter of seconds.  I was transported to this island in the sky.  The ordeal left me gasping for breath with some minor nausea, nonetheless it was a truly exhilarating experience.

Esto - Last Night....

Last night I had a dream.  The sky grew dark and winds grew strong in the desert.  Yeesha appeared at the cleft and told us to close the doors.  The war had come.  The cries of the Bahro and the Nekisal grew loud outside and the winds continued to grow.

The sky cracked open and the rains fell, threatening to flood the cleft.  From a window of the cleft I could see the Bahro fighting in the sky.  Yeesha kept repeating her mantra: "destruction is coming."  Suddenly a person linked into the cleft wearing strange garb.  On his shoulder was a glowing stone with a hand, but different from Yeesha's journey.

The Bahro linked around Yeesha as if to protect her, but with a swipe of his hand this dark figure made them vanish.  As he grew nearer to Yeesha I found myself unable to move; try as I might I could not help.  I awoke with a cold sweat.  I know this was a dream, even so I'm going to have to sneak back to the cleft after classes today.  Just to be sure.

Pantaleon - Journey

At first light I began my journey to the caldera.  I brought my backpack filled with supplies some food, tools, my handy camera, and my digging tools.  Upon reaching the edge of the caldera I noticed a path leading into the volcano, slowly disappearing into darkness.  I slowly proceeded downward and retrieved my flashlight to shine a light, into the darkness.  As I walked down the path I got the feeling this journey would be difficult.

What felt like hours passed as I kept pressing on unsure of how long I had been hiking.  I began questioning if there was an end to this path, or if anything could even survive in such a place.  As the descent continued I grew weary, my feet were sore from hiking.  I found an alcove along the path with a cot to rest in.  It appears this civilization included rest areas.  After eating a small bit of food, exhaustion took me and I fell into a deep dreamless sleep.


Time.  I have lost my sense of time down here.  I awoke disoriented and confused  in overwhelming darkness.  Fear shot through me like a knife.  I felt trapped as if I were in a cage with no escape.  After a few seconds the fear dissipated and I remembered my purpose.  I grabbed my flashlight and decided to look down into the abyss to see how far I had progressed.  To my amazement I could see and ornate floor at the bottom of the shaft.  Eagerly, I proceeded further down toward the bottom of the shaft; there I could start documenting the symbols and textures of the shaft’s elaborate design.

To my surprise, as I approached the ground floor of the shaft I found Esto.  He told me he often came there to think as there has been a lot of issues in D'ni of late.  I began documenting the shaft.  Once complete I would be ready to continue my journey to D'ni.  It was then that Esto told me some devastating news.  The path between D'ni and the surface had been broken; to continue any further on foot would eventually lead to a dead-end.  There would be no way to progress on foot.

Esto said there was another way to reach my destination.  I was confused.  Esto asked if I retrieved the book from the Cleft.  I told him how I had found and kept a strange book but that I dared not use it.  He told me this was Relto; gave me two books: one blank and the other filled with strange symbols and told me to return home.  “Once you are home you must you copy the one book into the other.  Then use Relto.”  He told me that it would be my link home whenever I needed it and to be sure that I have the copied the book with me before I used Relto.  He told me to contact him once I was finished so he could explain how to meet again and then visit D'ni.

Esto - Already Sunday

I've been spending some time on Payiferen today in hopes of catching a glimpse ofthe Sand Scritt.  No luck as of yet.  It's hard to believe it's already Sunday.  Maybe it's just me, but this weekend has felt shorter than usual.  Tomorrow I will be returning to the surface.  School beckons.  I suppose I should also grab some supplies.

I need to resume my experiments in rehgehstoy.  It seems so long since I last picked up a pen for purposes of gahrohevte; of course I've only been practicing on regular paper.  For so long I've only been able to visit Intervigilum in my dreams, but when I finish my work I'll be able to explore it with others.  It is an encouraging thought.  Perhaps after my test this Wednesday I'll be able to begin learning again.

Pantaleon - The Call

It has been an exhausting three days with little sleep through the storm but today the weather cleared.  I finally found a purpose for these symbols on the wall.  It appears they are related to this odd-looking device in the same room that has similar symbols, though not all of them correlate to the ones on the door.  I was able to readjust the symbols and then I activated the center console.  The result?  A hologram; something I have never witnessed before.

It is a hologram of someone named Yeesha.  Yeesha explained that the D'ni civilization had thrived for thousands of years and then suddenly died out.  Yeesha left a journey cloths through D’ni ages to teach people about the mistakes of the past.  She also described the D'ni civilization as having the power to create worlds?  I’m not sure what to make of this.  Surely it cannot be literal in meaning.  I will have to witness the D'ni civilization to better understand.

The storm caused substantial damage.  The walkways between the cleft are in poor condition; even the best ones are missing planks, however,  there are enough pathways to climb back to the top of the cleft.  In preparation to explore, I decided to gather some fresh spring water.  Trust me.  It is by far the best in the world.

I decided to do as Yeesha asked and locate the journey cloths in the desert.   The first time I found one I had no clue how to react to it.  After a few moments it seemed the palm of my hand was drawn like a magnet to its worn, ancient, fabric surface.  The Journey Cloth suddenly glowed a teal blue which shocked me as I initially perceived it as dangerous.  Eventually, I found all seven but I had to go back to the Cleft for water a few times due to the arid heat.

Then I went inside the tree.  Inside, I found the most amazing and peculiar book in my life - a book that contained a moving image.  Unsure of what to do I placed it in my backpack and returned to the surface.  It is time to inspect the caldera.

Pantaleon - Discovery

       Last time I visited Asheville, my friend Esto, told me about a great archaeological find in New Mexico.  The thought of exploring an ancient civilization in New Mexico piqued my interest, so I decided to follow the recommendations for those who heard The Call: grab a shovel and dig.  For my journey, I brought my camera to help me document my findings in New Mexico.

        Upon my arrival in New Mexico the desert appeared desolate and uninhabitable.  After all, how could life thrive under such extreme circumstances?  The only clue Esto gave was seek out a cleft located beside a dormant volcano.  I began reviewing topographical maps in hopes of finding the location in question.  Unfortunately, this is New Mexico and there are many volcanoes scattered throughout the state.



Three weeks of hiking and camping passed as I journeyed to each volcano without any sight of the  “Cleft” Esto had mentioned.  To expand my search I asked the locals as I passed through.  Drifting from town to town with no results made the situations seem hopeless.  Eventually, I found myself in Carlsbad and stopped at a diner.  It was there, shortly after making my order that a photograph on the wall caught my attention.  I began to ask around if anyone knew where it was taken and was soon directed to an older man sitting a few tables down.  After speaking with him from some time about my journey he offered to take me there.  Relief at last, my journey would soon begin. Upon reaching the volcano I thanked the old man for his help.  In response, he said something, quickly.  I didn’t catch it.  I carefully hopped over the barbed-wire fence and began exploring.  Within minutes I found what I had been looking for.

        Unfortunately, upon reaching the cleft a storm that had been brewing in the distance came over very quickly; dark clouds moved across the evening sky; the winds, which had been a pleasant breeze, changed into a powerful gust; drops of water began falling and soon turned into a downpour.  My climb to investigate the volcano would have to be postponed.  I scrambled into the cleft.  It wouldn't be much of a place to lodge but hopefully it would provide adequate shelter from the storm.

I found that rooms had been carved out of the cleft wall where I could take refuge from the storm.  Once inside, I closed the door and found strange markings on the wall.  The symbols do not resemble any language I have ever studied.  I wonder what is their meaning and why are they located here in this Cleft?   These markings intrigue me and there is much in this structure to investigate.  It seems I’ll have time so long as the storm continues.  When the weather clears I will begin making preparations for my journey into the caldera.

Esto - Hidden Treasures

Two nights ago I found myself in the Museum on Ae'gura.  Zyxia and I spent some time observing the light in the center of the building.  It was lit up and spinning.  I'm not sure how many times I've been to the museum and never noticed that the orb was lit up or even spinning for that matter.

On that note, I've been wondering if someone hasn't been climbing around fixing things like this.  On the other hand, if this has always been like this, it just goes to show how many hidden secrets this place has.  There are so many things we may see from day to day but very rarely do we see them for what they are.

A little bit of company

Truly the gift of the URU is that we are allowed to visit the cavern despite all that has happened.  Yeesha hasn't been seen in years, yet her memory is strong lest we forget that it is by her that our cavern is safe.  I don't want this post to be preachy.  I only wish to make it clear that this is a gift - to explore together.  In that spirit I have decided to bring a few of my friends here to this space.

With a little bit of company we can create and chronicle various projects we may be working on.  It will give us another means to stay in touch as well as be a means to express ourselves to the community.  My hope is that in this manner the blog will be more active and more diverse.

Getting adjusted to things

Since my last post I've been making more of an effort to be in the cave.  Griz seems to be doing well with his Salt Shaker Society, especially when he has a willing crowd.  Perhaps I'm being antisocial; but, over the last few months I've found myself drifting away from that crowd.  Back in November I looked forward to participating but now I have no interest in such a thing.

I'm not the only one who feels this way either.  Many others have felt a need for change.  I have no interest in starting a fight over this and so I feel the best option is to find a new place in Ae'gura where others can gather without having to worry about the Salt Shaker Society.  Adelia reminded me that Yeesha said "a storm is coming" and that "alone or together, find a way... make a home."  Well I've made my home and I intend to stay.

On the surface...

I find myself spending more and more time on the surface.  I'm not sure what that means.  Perhaps it's just a sign that my responsibilities on the surface are taking first notice.  Of course I still go to Adelia's story night, but I wonder if I would remember it if it weren't for her reminders only moments before the event.  One example: this past Saturday the cavern had its monthly all guilds' meeting - the topics which I am very interested in.  Having known this it was coming I still didn't make it to it.  I didn't make it to last month's meeting either.

As I've said before: it's not that I'm not interested.  In some ways I'm more involved with the cavern than ever before.  My work with TCT has taken me down memory lane as the old podcasts and issues of The Archiver meld together with what I hear from other explorers who were present.  I dunno.  The cave means so much to me.  I just seem to be bound there less and less often.