Some discussion on another thread about this; what exactly happens with the pillars and the caves?

Well, of course, we have no idea, but here's my speculative theory (WARNING: may contain nuts and/or heresy):

The original bahro cave, above the Cavern, with its pillars, enabled the D'ni to summon a single bahro and was, in fact, the only means by which a bahro could enter this Age (D'ni/Earth). What it might have been used for we don't know, since we don't actually have any unbiased testimony (or even any D'ni testimony at all) about the exact relationship between the D'ni and these particular bahro. What we can guess is that, at some point, the D'ni decided to cut off this entry point, and did it by moving the pillars to another "cave" Age giving directly on the star fissure (which I take to be some kind of interstitial space between Ages) exactly the way the original fissure did from Riven. Thus the bahro were prevented from entering D'ni/Earth. "Imprisoned," in a sense, if you take the "prison" to be the rest of the multiverse of creation and "freedom" one potty little Age. But there we are, obviously they wanted to be able to get in. Maybe to recover the Magic Tablet of Oopydoop.

So Yeesha, looking for a way to "free" them, hits on a way to use this device multiple times. She makes Relto and thus "shatters" various Ages into instances, consequently multiplying the bahro caves, and gets us to move the pillars back into the cave above the Cavern, thus allowing the bahro to enter that instance of D'ni/Earth, one at a time. (She does specify that each Journey frees one count it carefully one of "the Least." The fact that we see four at the end may mean that once they're in one instance they can cross to others. I don't know, but it seems likely.)

Not perfect, and of course it contradicts a lot of the Yeesha rhetoric, but that's my take.

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Zander

MOULagain KI 1090046

"What you still don't understand I have either forgotten to tell you or don't know myself."

I'd like to toss in a few things I thought of during my experiences with the Yeesha journey. First, it appeared to me that we were moving a being from one place to another. This is further reinforced by the Bahro runestone located on the upper balcony of the neighborhood. This runestone also helps explain the process, as well as the result. The ending, from what I observed, was more of a welcoming thing, and not a freeing of more than one being. Some have interpreted the gesture the being makes at that point as one of aggression. I interpreted it as a sign of thanks.

The reason for the imprisonment may be due to their innate ability, or it could be a way to control their numbers or something else entirely. It appears to me that the D'ni went to great lengths to hide the existence of the beings, and they went to even greater lengths to maintain a draconic control over them (whether through imprisonment or some other means (ala the Myst V scenario that isn't accepted as true, but still reflects the kind of lengths the D'ni were willing to go). From what I observed in 2007, if the beings wanted us dead, we'd be dead. So since we're still standing around debating this, I think it's pretty safe to assume a few things. One, they are intelligent. Two, they are not opportunistic. Three, they defend their kind. Four, they are capable and willing to plan and execute revenge.

The bahro runestones and markings do hold a LOT of the backstory and once we go back and examine them AFTER having been through the journies and such, they make a lot more sense.

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Latharion

KI: 03390194

There is much information regarding the Bahro that we do not know of. What we know of them from Myst V was intended to be released slowly a little bit at a time. The facts that they can control an Age from within or that they can link at will were never supposed to be explained so explicitly as they were. It was all supposed to be slowly revealed over the course of months or even years.
As such I believe there is a great deal more information about them that was never revealed that's sitting in some concept drawer somewhere waiting to be used. Only time will tell.

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MOUL KI# 10281985
MOULa KI# 1492059

Fear is the mind-killer