Part 3...
By the way. I suddenly remember it now... Shortly before I started my search after MYST related stuff On-Line halfway into March 2010, I actually had played through MYST 4. Revelations. That had lit some sort of a spark, I'd guess, and got me wishing to be immersed into this realm again. And that led me to go looking for and finding the Cyan Forums, MOULa and soon enough ending up in D'ni...
But back to the story of my first struggles there. Or rather... back to the sporadic recollections of what I think happened.
Somewhat lost about things, I had settled in a bit on my Relto and made it more homelike. But some stuff was a bit dim, still... What did Yeesha mean by saying "I am the Grower..."? She had grown up to an adult, since Revelations? Could I buy some seeds from her and make a kitchen garden? Not sure. The facilities at my Relto had improved somewhat, as I found stuff in the different Ages I could bring with me to my Relto. But some essentials were still missing. Like a kitchen... The sparkling fireplace made the evenings very cozy, so I was happy with that, and could make some tea and toast and light lunches.
But the alluring enigma of the closet and the garments and the shirt... Was that also due Yeesha's doing? I'm sure that my first past months I had been around in the Ages, my gray shirt had changed somewhat. The more I explored, the more colourful the shirt would be? I found that most puzzling and intriguing.
So I decided to put it to a test. I changed the colour of the gray shirt to green... Moss green. As I tend to love all the earthly colours. Never been a friend of bright or strong colours. So moss or light greens, some grayish blue shirt later on... Would that make a difference?
But I could not see any changes... So had it in fact been my imagination before, playing me tricks? Well, time would tell. I think I lost that thought for a while as I was busy doing more Exploring. And started to make Pellets in Ercana and a lot of other stuff along with some other Explorers...
And later on, when I had finished some Ages, Yeesha again appeared, and in her mysterious ways gave me a Link to Kveer. A place of the most awesome beauty! [I was actually somewhat familiar with it before in a way, from End of Ages that I had played a few years before] But what did this mean? I was at The End of my Journey? I got Catherine's red outfit at Myst Library, was that all? What little I knew then... As Yeesha had also said "Alone or together, make a home..." Together, like being a Member of a Hood? And doing what? Well that thing soon dawned to me...
I had briefly before met an Explorer named Alien and she together with Cpt.Jericho had created a Guild. The Guild of Sleepers... What a Guild was I then knew only vaguely. Maybe it could be some fun to be part of one? This one then seemed to be for the purpose of having fun and games. So I asked if I could join. And was accepted as a Member... Actually some time later, when I did some research for articles I aimed to write for The Cavern Post, and read about D'ni history, I got to know the purpose of the original D'ni Guilds...
And we of course had a lot of fun indeed. Alien became a great DJ, streamed music and arranged a lot of Pod Parties and other similar kind of stuff. I was involved in a small way too, compiling the "(un)Official Guild of Sleepers Soundtrack" that got played at some occasions or anniversaries. And I also got the spark to start creating some Quiz's and Crosswords that I put on the MOULa Forums, and making Puzzles but also a few Marker Games... A great period of time and a time that is still in a fond memory with me!
And with some hindsight to it... I'm very sure of this now! During this period of time, my shirt became more colourful than it had ever been before! The Guild of Sleepers are the blueish streaks, I'm sure, that have started to fade a bit. Some darker blues, some lighter blues... And I'm happy that I still meet a few of them in the Cavern now and then. By the way, you'd know it's a GoSleeper, if you greet them with a 'yawn' and the reply is a 'yawn' back! Try that one with Yawnee... sorry, Janeerah or Maid Marion...
I'm a bit of a sleeper [sorry for the pun], when it comes to writing, [but I've done that from time to time IRL] but I thought I'd also ask the Guild of Messengers if they wished to have some contribution from my pen. Not sure exactly when that began, but I joined the Guild of Messengers and did some writing for The Cavern Post. In fact with hindsight, now I'm also very sure, that the yellows that are found on my shirt, originate from them!
Nothing lasts for ever. A lesson we had to face, when a year ago something drastic occured. Suddenly, one day we could no longer access the Cavern. And all the false rumours started fly far and wild! Had we lost our 'homes' for good? Was this something we should had been prepared for? Had the D'ni foreseen this all, and arranged it to happen in some Magic Way? Or did Yeesha or the Bahro have anything to do with it? Nobody knew for certain...
It took some painful weeks, till we could return back to our Reltos and the Dni City and the Ages again. And a happy return at that! People celebrated it in many ways and were happy to see their friends again. But we had lost everything we had achieved till that point. What a 'Vault Wipe' was, remained a bit unclear, but people refer to that being the reason...
So now we all had to face the facts, and to do all of our Journeys anew again... Would this time anything be different? I think I followed some different paths when redoing the Ages this time. And I was always pleased, when I noticed... The same changes occurred in my shirt or garments again! The D'ni Magic [if it was that, that it was] was still working. I felt very happy and pleased by that!
So even now, as a year has gone since that unfortunate incident, the colours are still there. Some have faded, but I can still see them. Some are still bright. And I have found plenty of new ones during this past year. And I'm very happy for all of them!
So if you have not yet figured it out from the story... I'd like to think... This 'Shirt' is my story of my time in MOULa!
And I'd like to think that me, you and everybody have at least one, or a similar kind of garment or clothing item or shirt. You just have to look very closely! There are some in-woven threads within the fabric of the garment. What you have experienced, all who you have met perhaps just briefly, or all who you have learned to know well and become friends with... All those have perhaps left traces! But traces not always that easy to spot. But they're there, believe me! I've seen them! Or... you might just need a Magic Eye to see them!
On my shirt, some are thick, soft-to-touch and colourful woolen threads. I know I have some bright reds, at least one is in a patch from a very old and special friend. And there's a few newer ones... I'd guess they are more of light greens or blue. And others in different hues, still nice to touch but which have faded somewhat with time. From friends, who since long have left the cavern but are still in a fond memory with me...
The yellows from the Guild of Messenger are still there. Not as bright as they used to be. As well as those from the Guild of Sleepers, now a bit faded in sleepy or dreamy blue. Each passing month or year I'm sure has added something to this shirt. Then there are those colours, perhaps newer ones, that I've discovered quite recently. Some are finely woven from several thin threads. Some shimmer like almost of silver and gold, and some sparkle in the dark. And of course not to forget, the thin stripes of a rainbow, that are now found on and around the collar...
I'd also like to think that some colours are for different countries, the people and Explorers we've met from all over the world! The creation of the International's Hood was such an occasion and a period of time, I'm sure, that added some more colours to my shirt. IIRC we had some 30 different nations presented or counted for at some of our Events...
So I think almost everyone, who has set their foot in the Cavern could or may perhaps have added something, great or small, to this shirt. And even if you don't see me wearing that specific shirt, with your own eyes, when you meet me in the Cavern, I guarantee you. I'm wearing it [as it is in fact a Magic Shirt, don't you see?]... And if I'm not wearing it, then I don't think I'm really myself that day...
So that was my story, and with that I take my leave. As it's perhaps time for me to pull the shutters down in the windows and rake out the ashes from the fireplace. Turn off the fireworks and lock the door of my Relto hut. And also take my shirt with me and put up a sign on the door: Gone Fishing.
And now... it's all up to yous to tell all your stories...
_________________ MO:ULa status 
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