Midnightsun - Attempts at Communicaion

This Adelia. Something is just not right with her. The Bahro brought her here. Why? The man in the cavern... The Bahro protecting Esto...  How does this all tie in? I could not think in the cave because everything seemed to be closing in, yet out here there is too much space. Where is the link between these events?

Years ago, Esto gave me an issue of the Archiver with a scene that looked very similar to this. I do not need my KI to tell me I am in Noloben. Bahro Homeworld. As close to homeworld as a linking people can have.  I have always had the feeling the Bahro developed in the star fissure.  Where better for a race of linking people?

I feel the gaze of Bahro as I roam down the beach. They seem to be waiting on me to do something. They don’t appear to understand words and I am unable to make sense of their vocal sounds as well. Should I approach one of them directly? I recall hearing tales of the Bahro war, and how bowing was the most successful way to not offend.

I slowly walk up to a group of three Bahro and I pause as one starts to shuffle. Hesitantly I lower my head, and they become still. I continue my bow until I feel they are satisfied. A thought comes to me while I am showing this courtesy, I am on a beach. Kneeling down I began drawing in the sand, hoping for a response from them.

Bahroglyphs.  I think about how best to represent my question and then it comes to me. Soon the crying eye of the bahro is drawn in sand before me. The bahro take interest. They look to each other chattering as occasionally cocking their heads from side to side - like birds. Perhaps a different symbol.  What though?

I draw my finger through the sand once again and from a spiral I create the Yeesha hand.  The Bahro stop their chattering and look at me. That got their attention. I wonder if I did something wrong. They may not look fierce, but these creatures were once known to tear the wildlife of Negilahn apart. I hear something behind me.

Esto is running towards me. Apparently, Adelia shares the shell tattoo with us.  But where did she get it?  I kneel once more and draw a new spiral.  Now the ending is connected to the beginning. The Shell. The Bahro react again. They bow.

Esto is ranting again. We are on the same path. How are these events connected? What did Esto just say? Venalash? The Bahro cry out and link away. What did Esto just say? We must return to Adelia.

Pantaleon - Study on Words

The Watcher's Journal and his works are a peculiar read. It reminds me of a fairy tale. Apparently, The Watcher was a D'ni prophet who received a series of prophecies from The Maker. The Maker seems to be the D'ni god. Words, The Watcher's prophecies, speaks of D'ni growing and prospering, then it describes D'ni being broken. Lastly, it speaks of a blessing called the Grower; someone who will grow the new D'ni. This reminds me of what I have been reading about the fall of D'ni but The Grower is someone I have never even heard about.

There are two new ages here in The Watcher's Pub. Perhaps Er'Cana will provide more insight about The Watcher or Grower.

Pantaleon - Watcher's Sanctuary

I had arrived at the Watcher's Sanctuary when someone by the name of C.J. Herkeless approached me. Apparently he had been here and I didn't see him or hear him for that matter. C.J. told me he was a Greeter and asked me if I had any questions about The Watcher's Pub. I told him that I was looking for something but was unsure of where to begin. Interested in the History of D'ni I told him I would love to hear anything he had to say about the area.

C.J. Herkeless explained that The Watcher's Pub was also known as the Great Tree pub. The Great Tree, which is the most notable and defining characteristic of this place was created when during the d'ni 2000s. The Great Tree symbolizes the D'ni religion. C.J. told me that The Watcher's Pub itself was built and designed in the 4000s for a d'ni prophet known as The Watcher. His work of prophecies, known as 'Words,' could be found in the alcove on the second story. Interestingly, the Pub exchanged hands many times and it was even owned briefly by Douglas Sharper in 2003 however, before D'ni fell it was owned by Guildmaster Kadish.

C.J. Herkeless pointed out the two linking books and I thanked him for the helpful information and told him that it was just what I was looking for. The Greeter mentioned that if I wanted a little extra information he would let me read through The Watcher's Journal. This journal he said gives more insight on the Watcher. I told him I would gladly read it and that I still had no understanding of who or what the Watcher is or was?

Esto - The Shell Tattoo

“After that” I said, “MidnightSun and I went our separate ways.  He reltoed out and I did the same.”  I sat there thinking for a while.  Processing all I had just shared.  “Seems like so long ago.”

“But wait,” Adelia said.  “When I saw you in Ae’gura you were... broken.  Pantaleon said he found you in Bevin writing strange things on the walls.  That doesn’t just happen for no reason.”

“The Journey was false.  I don’t know who or why; but the journey wasn’t of The Grower.  Yeesha had no part of the journey.”  

I saw Adelia take a deep breath; processing what I just said.  “How did it happen?” asked Adelia.  “How did you wake up?”  

I pulled up my sleeve to reveal a shell symbol tattooed just below my shoulder.  “From what I gathered: MidnightSun realized the truth before I fell.  He took the Path of the Shell and from it devised this.”  I looked at the tattoo and remembered the madness before.  Adelia grew quiet.  She pulled at the collar of her shirt to reveal her own shoulder where a blue shell was visible.

Pantaleon - Puzzles & Pieces

I was reviewing Esto's notes when I found a clue.  I found many images of a shell symbol.  I seem to recall Yeesha saying she would change the symbol of the journey so that now the beginning is connected to the end  or something like that. These sybmols are intermixed with notes on someone called The Watcher and Guild Master Kadish.  Gete and McBeam said something about The Watcher's Pub.  I wonder if this is the same Watcher?

Kadish, once again seems to be a central to this new path as well, however, I do not understand how or why. It seems that The Watcher's Pub can shed more light on this and maybe it will lead me to Esto and Dean.

Esto - Collecting the Pieces: Part V

“The Light grew quickly out of the darkness - a light so bright I couldn’t see myself.  Bathing in light I saw ages and time pass around me.  Not see.  Just images.  I felt a presence.  I touched the roots of the Great Tree.  There was too much to ‘see’ here.  So I let it pass.  I could feel through the roots of terokh jerooth and found the wonders of the passing ages rush through me.  And then the falling returned.  The Light burned brighter setting fire to the whiteness before me.  As I fell, the light burned into a single point and from there I keep falling.  One light became many in the black and I knew where I was.”

“The Star Fissure” Adelia said.  Her eyes were unfocused as if she was simultaneously looking at something beyond the stones of the flood and nothing at all.  She looked up at me again.  “It was the Star Fissure wasn’t it?”

“We’ve been there before” I replied.  

“But this time was different.  This time I stopped falling.  I found myself on a white stair that climbed in a spiral upwards out of view.  I climbed.  The stars around me glimmered and I wondered how many ages I could see.  Then I reached the top.

"Before me I were two other stairs identical to the one I had just climbed and at the tops of each stood a figure staring across the void back at me.  I knew one to be MidnightSun.  The other stared back at me across the fissure and as I looked he grew increasingly unfamiliar.  Before long, the silence of that space was ended by a voice that seemed to come from everywhere.

"The tongue was unknown to me but their power was not.  I could feel something inside of me resonating and images of the journey flew through my mind.  Above I saw the sky split and a new light shone through.  Amber glow outlining a city in ruins. D'ni.

"The city's reflection was above, the voice spoke, and every fiber in my being shook.  The light of the lake above grew from a glow until it was blinding.  I closed my eyes.  When I opened them I was back in Vahmen district with MidnightSun."

Esto - Collecting the Pieces: Part IV

“Well?  What happened?”  Adelia looked like she was about to fall off her stone.  In truth, the memory was all too visceral.  The feeling of falling is one I never warmed to.  Linking is the same.  Making a leap of faith is one thing but falling in blindness not having expected it is quite another.  I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and recalled the events.  “Esto?”

“There was darkness” I said.  “There was darkness and I was now somewhere in that darkness.  There was no up, there was no down.  I had fallen so far there was no farther to fall and yet no way to stand either.  I wondered for a moment if I had died but soon ruled out that possibility as I felt my breathing.  I tried to call out but I heard nothing.  Not even the sound of my own voice.  I held up my hand in front of my face and still could see nothing.  Only my sense of touch alluded to its presence.

“I fumbled with my KI but it wasn't’ responding; my relto seemed inactive.  What was I to do?  At some point I wondered if my eyes were open or closed and even as I tried blinking I saw no change or indication of either.  I found myself thinking about Yeesha and what she would tell me to do if she were here. Find a way.  In my mind an image of the journey hand began to fly around.  One by one the fingers flickered out until it left only a shell.  Find a way.  I focused on the image; turning it in my mind.  Faster and faster.  Find a way.  From one shell, to two, and then finally three shells they aligned and before me was the triple shell symbol that had brought me so far. And then. Light.